Dwisioa   ^S^-^ 


SectioD 


V.lf 


ITbe  jflDessaoes  ot  tbe  Bible 

EDITED    BY 

Professor  Frank    K.  Sanders,  Ph.D.,  of   Yale   University,  and 
Professor  Charles  F.  Kent,  Ph.D.,  of  Yale  University. 

Messrs.  Charles  Scribner's  Sons  take  pleasure  in  announcing 
that  they  have  in  course  of  preparation  a  series  of  hand-books  which 
will  enable  every  reader  of  the  Bible  to  appreciate  and  to  obtain  a 
mastery  of  the  essential  facts  and  teachings  contained  in  it. 

This  series  is  not  a  substitute  for  the  Bible,  but  an  aid  to  the  rev- 
erent, appreciative,  and  enthusiastic  reading  of  the  Scriptures;  in 
fact  it  will  serve  the  purpose  of  an 

ORIGINAL    AND    POPULAR  COMMENTARY 
ON   THE   BIBLE. 

Technicalities  and  unsettled  questions  will  be,  as  far  as  possible, 
ignored.  Each  volume  will  be  prepared  by  a  leading  specialist  and 
will  contain  such  brief  introductions  as  serve  to  put  the  reader  into 
intelligent  relation  to  the  general  theme  treated.  The  editorial  re- 
arrangement of  the  order  of  the  Biblical  books  or  sections  will  repre- 
sent the  definite  results  of  sober  scholarship. 


I.  Ube  Obeessigcs  of  tbe  JEarHer  J5ropbets.    {Ready.) 

II.  Ube  /Messages  of  tbe  later  propbets.    (Ready.) 

III.  Ube  rt>e8eagea  of  tbe  Xawgivcrs.    {Ready.) 

IV.  Ube  Messages  of  tbe  propbetfc  an&  priestly  f)f0s 

torfans.     {Ready.) 

V.    Ube  fBeBsages  of  tbe  psalmists.    {Ready.) 
VI.    Ube  /Messages  of  tbe  Sages.    {In  Preparation.) 
VII.    Ube  /Messages  of  tbe  Dramatic  poets. 

{In  Preparation.) 

VIII.    Ube  flDessages  of  tbe  Hpocalsptical  HClriters.  {Ready.) 
IX.    Ube  iDessages  of  3esus  accor&ing  to  tbe  S?nops 

tiStS.     {Ready.) 

X.    Ube  ycessages  of  5esu8  accor^ing  to  tbe  (BoBpel  of 

50bn.     {Ready.) 

XI.    Ube  flDessages  of  paul.    {Ready.) 
XII.    Ube  flDessages  of  tbe  Bpostles.    {Ready.) 


^be  fIDeeeagee  of  the  Bible 


EDITED   BY 

Professor  Frank  K.  Sanders,  Ph.D. 

formerly  of  Yale  University 
AND 

Professor  Charles  F.  Kent,  Ph.D. 

of  Yale  University 


VOLUME   X 

THE   MESSAGES   OF   JESUS   ACCORDING   TO 
THE   GOSPEL   OF  JOHN 


Ube  flDessafles  ot  tbe  JBible    f     ppR  jg  igj^ 

THE  MESSAGES  OF  JESl 

ACCORDING  TO 
THE    GOSPEL  OF  JOHN 


THE  DISCOURSES  OF  JESUS  IN  THE 
FOURTH  GOSPEL,  ARRANGED,  ANALYZED 
AND  FREELY  RENDERED  IN  PARAPHRASE 


BY  y 

James  Stevenson  Riggs,  D.D. 

Professor  of  Biblical  Criticism  in  Auburn  Theological  Seminary 


NEW  YORK 

CHARLES  SCRIBNER'S  SONS 
1908 


Copyright,  1907, 

by 

CHARLES  SCRIBNER'S  SONS 

Published,  November,  1907 


PREFACE 

This  little  volume  has  a  twofold  aim.  It  seeks  to  give 
an  interpretation  of  the  Gospel  and  to  set  forth  the  Gospel's 
peculiar  structure  and  nature.  The  former  aim  is  ac- 
complished by  means  of  a  paraphrase  in  which  underlying 
connections  of  thought  are  supplied,  figurative  terms  are 
explained  and  such  amplifications  of  the  text  are  intro- 
duced as  shall  make  the  meaning  clear.  Such  a  method 
gives  room  for  only  the  results  of  exegesis.  The  discussions 
showing  why  and  how  these  results  are  obtained  belong  to 
commentaries  which  consider  the  text  piece  by  piece.  If 
a  paraphrase  is  of  any  value  it  is  in  presenting  as  a  con- 
nected, readable  whole  what  has  been  obtained  by  a  careful 
critical  study  of  each  phrase  and  sentence.  Such  value  we 
hope  the  book  offers. 

Every  earnest  student  of  this  Gospel  knows  how  pro- 
longed and  determined  has  been  the  battle  of  criticism 
over  its  worth  and  its  authorship.  Hardly  a  chapter  has 
escaped  destructive  attack  and  noble  work  has  been  done 
in  defense.  In  the  form  of  introductions  and  explanatory 
additions  I  have  sought  to  call  attention  not  so  much 
to  negative  critical  theories  as  to  the  points  against  which 
vii 


Preface 

these  theories  have  been  directed.  The  striking  difference 
between  the  Fourth  Gospel  and  the  Synoptics  requires 
explanation.  Has  it  been  made  by  declaring  that  the  book 
is  a  second-century  production  or  by  postulating  another 
author  than  the  Apostle  John?  It  is  to  help  the  student 
to  answer  such  questions  for  himself  that  all  along  the  way 
attention  has  been  called  to  those  points  in  style,  structure 
and  thought  which  bear  upon  these  critical  inquiries.  In 
considering  them  all  may  not  come  to  the  same  conclusion, 
but  to  him  who  studies  with  devout,  reverent  sympathy 
one  judgment  is  sure  to  be  formed,  and  that  is  that  the 
Gospel's  exalted,  spiritual  conception  and  presentation 
of  Christ  are  matchless. 

I  am  indebted  to  many  interpreters  and  critics  for 
help  and  suggestions.  It  is  a  pleasure  to  acknowledge 
the  unfailing  courtesy  and  assistance  of  the  editors  at 
whose  request  this  work  was  undertaken. 

James  S.  Riggs. 

AUBUXN,  Oc/o6er  21,  1907. 


Vlll 


INTRODUCTION 


INTRODUCTION 


THE    PROBLEM    OF    JOHN'S    GOSPEL 


All  critical  questions  concerning  the  Gospel  of  John  The  two 
really  narrow  down  to  these  two:  "Is  the  Gospel  trust-  tfons^regard- 
worthy  history?"     "Did  the  Apostle  John  write  it?"     The  g^g^i^'''" 
discussion  of  matters  pertaining  to  the  answering  of  these 
questions  has  called  into  being  a  voluminous  literature. 
As  might  be  expected,  that  literature  furnishes  all  varieties 
of  opinion,  from  a  radical,  negative  reply  on  the  one  side, 
to  a  fully  conservative  estimate  on  the  other.     Through 
all  the  years  in  which  this  discussion  has  been  going  on  the  All  varieries 
Church  has  read  and  cherished  this  priceless  treasure  of  °  ^°^^^" 
its  Scriptures,  finding  in  it  that  exalted  and  spiritual  con- 
ception of  her  Lord  which  she  believes  is  truthful  and 
trustworthy.     That  the  judgment  of  the  Church  shall  ever 
be  the  unanimous  verdict  of  criticism  may  be  too  much 
to  expect,  but  it  is  safe  to  say  that  the  time  has  gone  by 
when  such  estimates  as  make  the  book  wholly  a  creation 
of  the  imagination  or  a  mere  speculative  theological  treatise 
can  find  much  support. 

3 


Introduction  The  Messages  of  Jesus 

Book  not  a  In  some  form  reality  is  expressed  in  the  remarkable 
thelmiina-  scenes  and  sayings  of  this  Gospel.  Whether  that  reality 
in*the^Gos-^  inheres  in  reminiscences  which  have  been  freely  handled, 
P^^  or  in  constructions  which  reflect  the  mind  and  purpose  of 

Jesus,  it  is  there,  and  gives  abiding  value  to  the  whole. 
Theprob-  The  problem  concerning  the  Gospel  has  been  to  discover 
^™  in  it  that  substance  of  fact  and  teaching  which  shall  con- 

stitute a  reliable  source  of  our  knowledge  of  the  Master 
and  to  give  an  explanation  of  the  form  under  which  it  all 
has  been  presented  to  us. 
The  differ-  Every  reader  of  the  Gospel  is  familiar  with  the  striking 
tweenSynop-  differences  between  its  account  and  that  of  the  Synoptics. 
Fourth^Gos-  Except  for  a  few  incidents  Judea,  not  Galilee,  is  the  scene 
P^l  of  its  events.     As  we  follow  its  story  we  move  in  a  diflFerent 

atmosphere.     The  plain,  simple  recital  of  the  other  gos- 
pels gives  place  to  a  selection  of  events  which  are  illustra- 
tive of  the  truth  which  the  author  sees  and  which  it  is  his 
The  Gospel    main  object  to  set  forth.     So  intent  is  he  upon  this  that 
eventsinus-°  he  does  not  hesitate  to  tell  over  quite  fully  some  things 
trative  of       ^.^ich  we  already  know,  in  order  that  we  may  have  their 
inner  meaning,  and  to  leave  out  some  whose  omission  sur- 
prises us,  until  we  find  that  in  another  way  he  has  given 
us  also  their  deeper  interpretation.     By  far  the  greater 
number  of  events  seems  to  be  those  whose  significance  has 
Narrative      come  to  light  Only  in  the  fulness  of  his  experience  and  in 
rGahlean^   the  progress  of  the  truth.     The  narrative  presupposes  a 
^^^^""^        Galilean  ministry,  but  it  was  at  Jerusalem,  the  theological 

4 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John        Introduction 

centre  of  the  nation,  that  Jesus  spoke  more  largely  of  him- 
self in  terms  that  needed  both  time  and  experience  to  bring 
out  their  full  value.     The  Gospel  is  supplementary,  there-  Gospel  only 
fore,  not  so  much  in  the  way  of  seeking  to  add  a  series  of  sense  supple- 
events  to  those  given  us  by  the  Synoptics  as  in  offering  us,  '"^'^  ^^^ 
by  means  of  its  peculiar  reminiscences,  a  larger,  more 
spiritual  portrait  of  the  world's  Saviour.     We  are  con- 
stantly brought  face  to  face  with  the  abiding  realities  of 
the  spiritual.     Jesus  is  their  embodiment  and  their  ex- 
ponent.    He  is  not  a  mere  passing  figure  of  earthly  history; 
he  is  a  revelation  of  the  unseen;  the  exalted  standard  of 
spiritual  achievement  and  destiny. 

No  writing  of  the  New  Testament  consequently  reveals  A  marked 
more  clearly  what  criticism  speaks  of  as  a  "tendency"  than  in  the  Gos- 
does  the  Fourth  Gospel.     Indeed,  it  states  its  purpose  in  ^^ 
explicit  terms  "that  ye  may  believe  that  Jesus  is  the 
Christ,  the  Son  of  God;  and  that  believing  ye  may  have 
life  in  his  name"  (20:21),    The  Fourth  Gospel  is  no  more  Notabiog- 
a  biography  than  are  the  others.     It  makes  no  claim  any  nwe^than 
more  than  they  do  toward  giving  us  a  "life  of  Christ,"  ^^^^ 
hence  lays  no  emphasis  upon  a  complete  record  as  regards 
the  places  of  his  activity  or  the  deeds  of  his  ministry.     In 
this  respect  it  offers  no  more  of  a  problem  than  does  the 
Gospel  of  Mark.     Either  is  simply  a  collection  of  memora- 
bilia; in  the  one  case  of  experiences  in  Galilee,  in  the  other 
in  Judea.     There  is  also  a  difference  in  the  chronology  of  Difference  in 
the  Fourth  Gospel,  but  here  again  the  difference  springs  ^  ^°°°  °^^ 


Introduction  The  Messages  of  Jesus 

from  the  purpose  of  the  Gospel.     The  times  of  most  in- 
tense interest  in  the  capital  were  when  the  people  gathered 
from  all  parts  of  the  land  and  from  the  Dispersion  for  the 
solemn  feasts  of  the  Temple  ritual.     In  part  from  loyalty  to 
the  system  imder  which  he  was  born;  in  part  to  give  to 
his  teachings  the  widest  reach,  Jesus  went  up  to  the  feasts. 
The  record  of  his  witness  to  himself  contains,  therefore, 
the  reminiscence  of  the  various  festivals  and  the  hints  for 
a  larger  ministry  than  the  Synoptics,  with  their  account  of 
TheSynop-    but  One  passover,  require.     We  are  not  left  without  indi- 
more  than      cations  in  the  Synoptics  themselves,  that  John's  chronology 
one  year        j^  ^^  ^^^^  Wt\^  (see  Mk.  2:  23;  Mk.  6:  39;  Mk.  24:  37; 
Luke  13:  34),  and  some  results  are  difficult  to  account  for 
without  the  longer  time  and  the  repeated  visits  to  Jerusa- 
The  dates  of  lem  which  he  supplies.    When  it  comes  to  specific  instances, 
supper  and    such  as  the  cleansing  of  the  Temple  or  the  date  of  the 
probaMy'^     Last  Supper  and  the  Crucifixion,  we  believe  that  the  ul- 
correct  timate  decision  will  favor  the  accuracy  of  the  Fourth 

Gospel. 

Difference  in      The   great   Outstanding   difiference,    however,    between 

tion^?jesvS  John  and  the  others  is  in  his  presentation  of  Jesus.     This 

difference  has  been  so  emphasized  by  certain  students  of 

the  Gospels  as  to  compel  a  categorical  ''either — or" — 

either  the  Synoptic  portrait  must  be  accepted  or  the  Johan- 

nine,  since,  they  tell  us,  both  cannot  be  historically  true. 

Opinion  of    ''The  Johannine  Christ,"  says  Holtzmann,  "is  complete 

Sa2i°'*^       from  the  very  first.     He  appears  without  childhood  and 

6 


According  to  the   Gospel  of  JoJin        Introduction 

youth,  but  is  all  along  the  divine  Word  manifested  in  the 
flesh.  All  traces  of  growth,  of  struggle,  and  of  wrestling 
such  as  mark  the  growing  Son  of  God  of  the  Synoptics, 
are  for  the  most  part  expunged  and  weakened,  character- 
istically transformed  and  renovated.  In  this  way  is 
treated  whatever  speaks  of  dependence,  as,  for  example, 
the  stories  of  birth  and  youth;  whatever  points  to  deficient 
foreknowledge  or  to  failure,  the  choice  of  the  traitor 
Judas;  whatever  to  real  passivity,  Gethsemane  and  Gol- 
gotha." ^  Wernle  concludes  a  similar  contrast  with  the  Wemle's 
words:  "In  fine,  the  difference  between  the  Christ  por-  ■*"  ^™^'^* 
traits  may  be  expressed  in  the  simple  formula:  Here  man 
— there  God."^  "It  is  a  peripatetic  God  who  is  depicted," ^  Opinion  of 

117     J  Wrede 

says  Wrede. 

The  fact  that  these  judgments  are  given  by  those  who  The  Gospel 
acknowledge  that  "Jesus  Christ  is  Lord"  makes  them  thehuman-*' 
seem  all  the  more  prejudicial  to  the  historicity  of  the  Gos-  *^^  °^  -^^^"^ 
pel.     The  simple  question  is.  Are  they  correct?     That  the 
Fourth  Gospel  intends  that  we  shall  understand  the  ex- 
alted, divine  character  of  Jesus  is  unquestionable.     The 
description  "the  Word  made  flesh"  is  its  own,  and  is  of  the 
highest  significance,  but  we  are  not  to  forget  that  it  is  "the 
Word  made  flesh"    That  implies  limitations  and  puts  em- 
phasis upon  the  humanity  of  Jesus.     How  can  one  whose 
body  becomes  weary  (4:  6),  whose  spirit  is  vehemently 

1  Einleitung,  p.  432.  '  Die  Quellen  des  Lebens  Jesu,  p.  25. 

'  Character  und  Tendenz,  pp.  31,  37. 


Introduction 


TJie  Messages  of  Jesus 


Beyschlag's 
judgment 


Does  the 
Gospel  lack 
develop- 
ment? 


Its  point  of 
view  of 
Jesus 


troubled  (13:  21),  and  whose  soul  is  deeply  disturbed 
(12:  27)  be  said  to  give  no  evidence  of  his  real  humanity? 
Why  does  he  ask  for  information  (11:  34),  declare  that  he 
can  do  nothing  of  himself  (5:  19),  and  enter  into  all  the 
earnestness  of  prayer,  if  we  are  to  see  in  him  only  a  God? 
Beyschlag's  words  are  much  nearer  the  truth  when  he  says 
**The  Fourth  Gospel  denies  nothing  that  is  innocently 
human  to  Jesus,  neither  hunger  nor  thirst,  weariness  nor 
sadness,  suffering  nor  death,  nor  struggle  of  soul,  neither 
the  distinction  of  his  will  from  the  divine,  nor  the  exercise 
of  prayer  and  worship  toward  God;  the  Johannine  Christ 
acknowledges  all  human  dependence  upon  God.  And  it 
is  simply  not  true,  what  is  so  often  asserted,  that  John  con- 
ceived his  Christ  as  omniscient  and  omnipotent."  ^  As 
to  all  lack  of  development  set  forth  in  Holtzmann's  criti- 
cism that  "the  Johannine  Christ  is  complete  from  the  very 
first,"  the  question  is.  For  what  kind  of  development  do  we 
look?  The  scope  of  the  Gospel  excludes  designedly  all 
consideration  of  the  birth  and  childhood  of  Jesus.  Be- 
lieving, as  we  do,  that  Jesus  became  conscious  of  his  Mes- 
siahship  at  the  Baptism,  and  that  the  Temptation,  which 
was  the  psychological  outcome  of  the  call  given  him  at  the 
Jordan  to  take  up  his  Messianic  place  and  work,  both 
settled  his  supremacy  and  defined  for  him  the  character  of 
his  mission,  we  think  it  but  in  accord  with  the  purpose  of 
the  writer  that  he  should  begin  just  where  he  does,  after 

1  A^  T.  Theol.,  vol.  ii,  p.  416. 

8 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John        Introduction 

the  trying  days  in  the  wilderness.     From  the  first  it  is  the 
Messiah  in  the  full  consciousness  of  his  position  and  mis- 
sion whom  we  are  to  contemplate.     Neither  in  the  Synop-  Neither  the 
tics   nor   in    John   is   there   any   development   after   the  no^john 
baptismal  scene  in  the  consciousness  of  Jesus  as  to  his  Mes-  op*?^en?in^ ' 
siahship.     It  is  one  thing  to  say  this  of  Jesus;  it  is  quite  an-  ng^onesua 
other  to  assert  that  in  the  recognition  of  this  Messiahship 
there  is  no  development  in  John's  Gospel.     The  Synoptics 
let  us  see  how  gradual  the  process  is  by  which  the  disciples 
attained  this  great  conception.     It  is  no  contradiction  of 
this  belief  that  in  the  opening  chapters  of  the  Fourth  Gos- 
pel some  of  those  disciples  in  their  first  enthusiasm  declare 
that  they  have  found  the  Messiah,  inasmuch  as  they  use 
a  term  which  the  common  expectation  and  their  enthusi- 
asm suggested,  but  which  they  then  little  understood.     In 
the  course  of  the  comment  attention  is  called  to  the  inter- 
pretative additions  of  the  evangelist  which  belong  to  his 
point  of  view  rather  than  to  the  time  to  which  they  are  as- 
signed (see  1:29;  2:21).     Making  allowance  for  these.  The  Gospel 
and  being  careful  not  to  read  into  terms  more  than  the  sit-  opment  in 
nation  allows  according  to  the  Gospel  itself,  we  shall  find  [jjfn^of  the'" 
reason  for  the  modification  of  the  judgment  that  there  is  ^^^ssiah 
no  development.      Chapter  7  gives   us   pretty  clear  evi- 
dence that  on  the  part  of  the  people  there  was  no  such 
definite    issue    as    the    no-development    theory    suggests. 
"Some  of  the  multitude,  therefore,  when  they  heard  these 
words,  said.  This  is  of  a  truth  the  prophet.     Others  said, 

9 


Introduction 


The  Messages  of  Jesus 


The  differ- 
ence be- 
tween 
Synoptics 
and  John  is 
to  be  under- 
stood in  the 
realization 
of  the  posi- 
tion of  John 


This  is  the  Christ.  But  some  said,  What,  doth  the  Christ 
come  out  of  GaHlee?"  (7:  40,  41).  Even  later  than  this, 
at  the  Feast  of  Dedication,  the  Jews  ask,  ''How  long  dost 
thou  hold  us  in  suspense?  If  thou  art  the  Christ  tell  us 
plainly"  (to:  24).  Facts  like  these  warrant  the  conclusion 
that  "the  writer  of  this  Gospel  is  as  clearly  conscious  as 
any  of  the  Synoptists  of  the  real  course  of  events,  and  that 
he,  too,  was  well  aware  that  the  Messiah,  when  he  came, 
had  not  forced  a  peremptory  claim  upon  an  unwilling  peo- 
ple. The  anticipated  confessions  of  the  early  chapters, 
whatever  we  may  otherwise  think  of  them,  are  really  sub- 
ordinate and  (so  to  speak)  accidental;  the  main  course  of 
the  ministry  is  not  conceived  differently  in  the  Fourth  Gos- 
pel and  in  the  Synoptics."  ^ 

If,  then,  in  the  point  of  his  humanit)^,  and  in  the  setting 
forth  of  that  reserve  of  the  actual  declaration  of  his  Mes- 
siahship  the  two  narratives  are  not  so  unHke  as  one  might 
suppose,  wherein  does  the  difference  lie?  We  can  answer 
this  only  as  we  try  to  realize  the  position  of  the  writer. 
Years  had  gone  since  the  departure  of  Jesus  from  the 
world,  Jerusalem  had  been  destroyed,  Christianity  had 
found  its  way  far  beyond  the  limits  of  the  Holy  Land. 
The  meaning  of  the  spiritual,  universal  Messiahship  had 
groviTi  clearer  and  more  comprehensive.  Sayings  which 
at  the  time  they  were  first  uttered  may  have  seemed  vague, 
certainly  less  applicable  to  the  exigencies  of  life  than  the 

1  Sanday :  Criticism  oj  the  Fourth  Gospel,  p.  165. 
10 


According  to  the   Gospel  of  JoJin        Introduction 

pithy,  sententious  maxims  or  the  striking  suggestive  para- 
bles of  the  Synoptics,  became  definite  and  rich  in  content. 
One  after  another  these  sayings  were  recalled  from  those 
memorable  struggles  in  the  capital.     Together  they  set 
forth  the  fundamental  and  essential  significance  of  him 
who  uttered  them.     The  old  and  often-cited  analogy  be-  The  analogy 
tween  the  accounts  of  Socrates  given  by  Xenophon  and  and  Plaw  Si 
Plato  is  apt  and  forceful.     How  meagre  after  all  would  lo^Socrays°° 
have  been  our  real  knowledge  of  the  great  Athenian  teacher  ^  ^^^ 
had  not  Plato  opened  to  us  the  wealth  and  worth  of  his 
philosophy. 

It  is  objected  that  there  is  something  monotonous  in  The  Gospel 
John's  depictions  of  Jesus;  something  one-sided.     Again  anTs^ome- 
we  must  return  to  the  specific  purpose  of  the  Gospel.  ^(Jlonous 
Variety  of  circumstances,  the  stage  setting  of  the  drama,  \^^  °^ 
the  scenery  of  the  picture — these  are  all  entirely  subor- 
dinate to  the  one  central  person  upon  whom  the  eye  of  the 
interpreter  is  fixed.     We  must  look  at  hiyyi.     All  the  vari- 
ety that  is  of  any  moment  is  in  what  he  says  of  himself;  in 
what  he  is  and  means  to  men,  to  the  world  as  his  word  here 
or  there  reveals  it.     And  so  the  repeated  "I  ams" —  the 
statements  which  carry  us  to  the  imderlying  spiritual  re- 
lations existing  between  him  and  the  Father;  the  purport 
of  his  mission  for  the  spiritual  awakening,  judgment  and 
salvation  of  men — are  the  substance  of  the  Gospel.     If 
there  is  monotony  in  them,  it  is  such  as  might  come  from 
one's  trying  to  describe  the  meaning  of  the  sun  to  our  phys- 
II 


Introduction  The  Messages  of  Jesus 

ical  universe.     In  all  this  lies  the  real  difference  in  the 
Thedis-        presentation  of  Jesus.      And  so  we  are  brought  face  to  face 

courses  form       -^i     ^i         t  ,  .   ,        .  .  ,  . 

a  chief  ob-     With  the  discourses  which  give  us  just  this  presentation. 

Gospel  °  ^  They  have  long  been  the  chief  source  of  objection  to  this 
Gospel.  "A  Jesus  who  preached  alternately  in  the 
manner  of  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount  and  of  John  14-17 

Juiicher's      is  a  psychological  impossibility."^     "To  discourse  in  Sy- 

and  Wernle's  ....         .  .     ,         ,         ^  , .  , 

opinions        noptic  and  Johannine  fashion  is  precisely  what  Jesus  did 

not   do."  2    These  are  decisive  words.     What  shall  be 

A  marked      Said  of  them?     It  is  vain  to  enter  a  wholesale  denial  of  the 

styieTn         marked  difference  between  the  style  and  general  content 

^ourt     OS-  q£  ^^  discourses  of  Jesus  found  in  the  Synoptics  and  those 

of  the  Fourth  Gospel.     The  difference  certainly  exists. 

Can  we  satisfactorily  account  for  it  without  sacrificing  the 

value  of  the  teaching?     The  best  way  is  first  to  look  closely 

at  the  discourses  themselves  with  a  view  to  discovering 

All  the  dis-     some  of  their  characteristics.     First  and  most  conspicuous 

one'sfyie '^^^  is  the  fact  that  all  the  speakers  in  this  Gospel  have  the 

same  style,  which  is  also  the  style  of  the  First  Epistle  of 

John.     It  has  been  well  said  that  there  is  "a  Hebrew  soul 

in  the  Greek  language  of  the  evangelist."     All  the  way 

through  the  vocabulary  is  relatively  poor  and  the  forms  of 

expression  simple.     The  whole  is  under  the  mould  of  one 

They  bear  a  mind;  the  dictiou  is  from  one  hand.     To  the  extent  of 

hannineim-   Style,  therefore,  the  Gospel  bears  a  distinct  Johannine  im- 
press 

1  Julicher,  Introd.  to  N.  T.,  p.  421. 

2  Wemle,  Die  Quellen  des  Lebens  Jesu,  p.  24. 

12 


According  to  the   Gospel  of  John        Introduction 

press.     To  this  extent  there  is  a  modification  of  the  orig- 
inal form  of  the  teaching  conveyed.     Again,  it  appears  Comments 
upon  close  examination  that  som^e  statements  which  at  added^to^  '^ 
first  sight  look  like  integral  parts  of  various  discourses  ^^l^^  ° 
really  belong  to  the  evangelist.     Notable  instances  of  these 
are  found  in  3:  16-21;  3:  31-36,  and  in  various  places  all 
through  the  Gospel  (see  the  interpretation  and  introduc- 
tion thereto).     Without  any  linguistic  mark  of  change,  the 
discourse  passes  over  into  comments  by  the  writer.     In  the 
full  light  of  his  understanding  of  the  meaning  of  his  Mas- 
ter's life,  he  added  these  interpretative  comments.     Such 
treatment    indicates    certainly  considerable  freedom  and 
makes  very  plain  a  subjective  element  in  the   Gospel. 
Once  more  there  are  instances  where  it  seems  clear  that  At  times 
the  evangelist  has  brought  together  into  the  form  of  a  sin-  coSucts 
gle  discourse  words  spoken  at  different  times  and  on  dif-  discourses 
ferent  occasions.     Two  of  these  may  be  found  in  12:  37- 
50  and  in  5:  19  ff.     In  the  first  case  the  evangelist  gathers 
together  some  of  the  main  teachings  of  the  Gospel  upon 
the  causes  of  unbelief  and  puts  them  into  the  form  of  an 
address.     The  words  are  introduced  by  the  statement, 
"But  Jesus  cried  out  and  said"  (v.  44).     There  is  no  indi- 
cation of  either  occasion  or  locality  for  the  words  spoken. 
The  words  have  a  general  character,  and  themes  which 
have  been  before  us  in  earher  chapters  reappear.     It  is 
virtually  an  address  composed  by  the  evangehst.     That  These  are 
does  not  mean  that  it  is  not  true  in  substance.     It  is  rather  stance 
13 


Introduction  The  Messages  of  Jesus 

a  presentation,  in  the  form  of  a  summary,  of  cognate 
words  which  Jesus  had  spoken  at  different  times  and  on 
different  occasions.     The  instance  in  the  fifth  chapter  is 
somewhat  similar.     The  discussion  of  it  will  be  found  in 
All  commen-  Connection  with  the  chapter  in  the  interpretation.     These 
cover  a  sub-  various  characteristics  will  give  some  idea  of  what  is  called 
ment  inihe    the  Subjectivity  of  the  Gospel.     By  some  critics  this  sub- 
Gospel         jectivity  is  discernible  to  a  greater  extent  than  by  others, 
but  all  discover  it,  and  it  leads  to  a  most  interesting  study. 
It  will  undoubtedly  be  impossible  to  separate  the  Johan- 
nine  element  completely.     The  combination  is  no  such 
mechanical  affair  as  partition  theories  often  assert.     In- 
deed the  remarkable  unity  of  structure  in  the  Gospel  makes 
Partition       any  form  of  partition  theory  unlikely.*    We  are  to  think 
tenabfe^in      of  the  Apostle  as  SO  at  one  with  the  teaching  of  his  Master 
orstructure^  that  the  Statements  given  us  are  more  analogous  to  chem- 
ical than  mechanical  combinations.     The  substance  of  the 
teaching  and  the  form  of  expression  are  quite  inseparable. 
Tendency  of  "Reccut  criticism   is  Steadily  tending  to  the  conclusion 
cisminre-     that   the  form   in   which   the   discourses   of    Christ   are 
fe?tive°eie-     recorded  in   the   Fourth   Gospel  is  in   part   due   to  the 
SSsis'^'"'    evangehst  himself."^     ''The  Gospel  of  John  is  a  distil- 
lation of  the  life  and  teaching  of  Jesus  from  the  alembic 
of  the  Apostle's  own  mind."  ^    Once  more  we  would  em- 

1  Wendt's  brilliant  work  is  the  best  recent  attempt  in  the  way  of  a  partition 
theory. 

2  T.  H.  Bernard.  3  Stevens,  Theology  of  N.  T.,  p.  172. 

14 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John  Introduction 
phasize  the  difference  between  the  audiences  of  Galilee  and  Jesus  faced 

T  1  Til  11  I-  r  .  ,    an  entirely 

Jerusalem.     In  the  latter  place  he  was  face  to  face  with  different 
the  expert  theologians  of  the  nation.     They  were  always  Jerusalem" 
in  the  groups  that  gathered  about  him.     This  fact  of  itself 
would  explain  in  part  the  change  of  manner  of  address 
and  the  change  of  subject.     Add  to  this  the  subjective  ele- 
ment to  which  we  have  called  attention,  and  we  are  a  long 
way  toward  the  explanation  of  this  Gospel's  presentation 
of  Jesus  through  the  discourses  which  form  so  large  a  part 
of  it.     We  are  now  ready  to  return  to  our  question  as  to  Does  the 
whether  such  a  "distillation"  diminishes  the  value  of  the  eiemenrdi- 
teaching.     And  this  suggests  the  further  question,  whether  STeachlngT 
in  such  a  field  the  characterizations  "true  to  history"  and 
"true  to  truth"  must  be  identical.     If  they  must,  then  a 
shadow  falls  at  once  upon  the  pages  of  the  Gospel,  for,  in 
that  case,  unless  the  discourses  are  all  ipsissima  verba  they 
are  not  true  to  history.     If  we  may  justly  distinguish  be-  Discourses 

,  ,  .      .  ,    /-     ,    •        1  ■,.  true  to  truth 

tween  these  descriptions  and  find  in  these  discourses  a 
truth  which  is  even  surer  because  it  in  part  is  a  Spirit- 
inspired  interpretation  of  words  that  were  actually  said, 
and  a  life  that  was  really  lived,  then  the  value  of  the  teach- 
ing is  enhanced.  The  substance  of  it  came  from  the  mind 
of  no  mere  disciple.  The  claims  set  forth  and  the  exalted 
declarations  found  on  every  page  are  not  the  creation  of 
some  follower  of  Jesus  whether  of  the  first  or  second  cen-  Jesus  him- 

T  1  •  ir    •  11  (-1       self  only  ade- 

tury.     Jesus  himself  is  the  only  adequate  source  of  the  quate  source 
profound  spiritual  truth  which  it  contains.     Arrangement,  ° 

IS 


Introduction  The  Messages  of  Jesus 

shaping,  interpretation,  are  due  to  him  who  sought  to  pre- 
sent it  to  men  that  they  might  more  clearly  discern  the  Son 
of  God  and  through  faith  in  him  have  Ufe. 
Thehistori-       While  we  find,  however,  that  the  discourses  are  best  de- 
of  dTscoufses  scribed  as  true  to  truth,  it  is  just  as  sure  that  the  historical 
true  to  act    gg^j-jj^g^  Qf  these  discourses  are  true  to  fact.     Details  in 
support  of  this  statement  will  be  given  later  in  another  con- 
nection.    We  refer  to  them  now  simply  that  we  may  make 
a  definite  affirmative  answer  to  the  first  of  the  two  ques- 
tions with  which  we  began:  "Is  the  Gospel  trustworthy 
history?" 

II 

DID    THE   APOSTLE   JOHN    WRITE    THE    GOSPEL? 

I.    External  Evidence. 

For  convenience  in  description,  we  have  referred  to  the 
Gospel  as  John's  Gospel,  and  in  the  same  way  have  called 
attention  to  a  "Johannine  impress."     We  must  now  con- 
sider the  question  whether  such  references  are  justifiable. 
Truth  not      Truth  certainly  is  not  dependent  upon  names.     And  yet 
upon^nlmes  a  gospcl  is  not  quitc  like  an  epistle,  as,  for  example,  the 
Epistle  to  the  Hebrews.     It  purports  to  give  historical  set- 
The  value  of  tings,  and  conveys  the  impression  of  an  eye-witness.     The 
hanSd^if^^    value  of  these  certainly  is  enhanced  if  we  can  have  assur- 
genuine         ^^^^  ^^^  ^^^  ^j^^  actually  took  part  in  the  scenes  he  de- 
scribes has  given  us  at  first  hand  the  record  of  them. 
i6 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John        Introduction 

Whether  this  first-hand  recorder  was  John  the  Apostle,  or 
another  "disciple  of  the  Lord"  who  had  the  privilege  of 
personal  companionship  with  Jesus,  may  not  be  of  very 
great  importance  as  far  as  the  facts  and  truth  of  the  Gos- 
pel are  concerned.     Either  might  satisfy  the  demands  of 
the  case;  certainly  better  than  some  writer  of  the  second 
century  wholly  dependent  upon  sources  from  a  generation 
with  which  he  had  little  to  do.     And  yet  we  must  not  for-  Question  can 
get  that  Luke's  Gospel  has  come  to  us  in  just  this  way.  nfinedTy 
The  determination  of  the  whole  matter  is  from  criticism  fromevf- 
of  the  evidence.     Every  scrap  of  this  evidence  has  been  ^^^^^ 
again  and  again  discussed  and — as  is  well  known — judg- 
ments upon  it  widely  differ.     If  one  desires  to  go  over  the  Works  help- 
evidence  step  by  step,  such  works  as  Watkins'  Bampton  suidyVf  this 
Lectures  of  1890,  or  the  more  recent  works  of  James  ^^^^^^"^^^ 
Drummond  ^  and  V.  H.  Stanton  2  will  be  found  very  help- 
ful.    The  space  at  our  disposal  allows  us  to  call  attention 
only  to  the  salient  points  and  to  the  verdict  of  sane  and 
careful  criticism.     We  turn  first  to  ask  what  was  the  testi- 
mony of  the  earliest  witnesses  upon  the  matter  of  author- 
ship.    A  safe  point  with  which  to  begin  critical  inquiry  is  Best  point  at 
near  the  close  of  the  second  century,  for  "from  a.d.  180  gin  critical 
John's  Gospel  was  recognized  in  the  Church  as  the  work  ^'^^"^"'y 
of  the  Apostle  John  who  died  in  Ephesus."  ^    The  extent 

^  'Mn  Inquiry  into  the  Character  and  Authorship  of  the  Fourth  Gospel." 

2  Th€  Gospels  as  Historical  Documents,  Part  I. 

'  Jiilicher,  Inlrod.  to  N.  T.  (English  edition),  p.  405. 

17 


Introduction 


TJie  Messages  of  Jesus 


Extent  of 
witness  at 
end  of  sec- 
ond century 


Names 
which  bridge 
over  the 
years  to  the 
Apostle 


Testimony 
of  Irenaeus 


Irenaeus 

connects 

himself 

through 

Polycarp 

with  John 


of  this  testimony  may  be  realized  by  noting  that  its  factors 
were  Irenaeus  in  Gaul,  Heracleon  in  Italy,  Tertullian  at 
Carthage,  Tatian  at  Rome  and  in  Syria,  Polycrates  at  Ephe- 
sus,  Theophilus  at  Antioch,  and  Clement  at  Alexandria. 
This  testimony,  in  effect,  carries  us  far  back  of  the  time  in 
which  it  was  given.  There  are  also  names  which  bridge 
over  the  years  to  the  very  Apostle  himself.  Starting  with 
Irenaeus  we  read  in  Haer.  iii,  ii,^  "That  John,  the  dis- 
ciple of  the  Lord  who  also  leaned  upon  his  breast,  himself 
also  pubHshed  the  Gospel  while  dwelling  at  Ephesus  in 
Asia."  Now  Irenaeus  connects  himself  with  John  through 
Polycarp,  for  in  his  letter  to  Florinus  ^  he  writes:  "I  saw 
thee  (Florinus)  while  I  was  still  a  boy  in  Lower  Asia,  in 
company  with  Polycarp.  For  I  distinctly  remember  the 
incidents  of  that  time  better  than  events  of  recent  occur- 
rence; for  the  lessons  received  in  childhood,  growing  with 
the  growth  of  the  soul,  become  identified  with  it;  so  that  I 
can  describe  the  very  place  in  which  the  blessed  Polycarp 
used  to  sit  when  he  discoursed,  and  his  goings  out  and  his 
comings  in,  and  his  manner  of  life  and  his  personal  ap- 
pearance, and  the  discourses  which  he  held  before  the 
people,  and  how  he  would  describe  his  intercourse  with 
John  and  with  the  rest  who  had  seen  the  Lord,  and  how 
he  would  relate  their  words.  And  whatsoever  things  he 
had  heard  from  them  about  the  Lord  and  about  His  mir- 
acles and  about  His  teaching,  Polycarp,  as  having  received 

^  This  work  was  written  circa  a.d.,  180-190. 
18 


2  Euseb.  Hist.  Eccles.  v,  20. 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  Jolin        Introduction 

them  from  eye-witnesses  of  the  life  of  the  Word,  would  re- 
late altogether  in  accordance  with  the  Scriptures."     It  is  Objected 
objected  to  this  testimony  that  there  is  a  confusion  of  per-  naeus  con- 
sons  in  it,  and  that  the  John  of  Asia  Minor  whom  Polycarp  Apostle  with 
knew,  was  John  the  Presbyter,  instead  of  John  the  Apostle.  pres^JJjer 
But  in  his  letter  to  Victor  ^  he  again  connects  Polycarp 
with  John,  and  in  such  a  way  as  to  make  the  reference  quite 
clear.     Besides,  as  both  Drummond  ^  and   Sanday  ^  re- 
mark, Irenaeus  was  not  shut  up  to  Polycarp  and  Papias 
for  all  his  knowledge  about  John.     How  unlikely  that  a  Is  such  con- 
man  who  was  himself  a  great  traveller;  who  met  the  noted  vSoahe 
leaders  of  the  Church  in  different  great  centres;  who  sue-  S^nso'f'^ 
ceeded  Pothinus,  a  man  ninety  years  of  age  when  he  died  JjSyJ"^' 
and  a  storehouse  of  traditions,  should  have  never  had  his 
confusion  set  right!     The  first  name  of  importance  which  Justin 
meets  us  as  we  move  back  from  i8o  a.d.  is  Justin  Martyr, 
whose  works  appeared  about  the  middle  of  the  second 
century.     It  is  now  generally  conceded  that  he  used  the 
Fourth  Gospel,  and  to  Dr.  Drummond,  who  has  made  a 
searching  examination  of  Justin's  relation  to  the  Gospel, 
the  conclusion  which  seems  most  satisfactory  is  "that  Jus- 
tin regarded  the  Fourth  Gospel  as  one  of  the  historical 
Memoirs  of  Christ,  but  that  it  is  not  improbable  that  he  be- 
lieved in  its  Johannine  authorship."^     Hamack's  cautious 

^  Euseb.  Hist.  Eccles.  v,  24.  *  Character  and  Authorship,  p.  348. 

3  Criticism  of  the  Fourth  Gospel,  pp.  60-62. 
*  Character  and  Authorship,  p.  161. 

19 


Introduction 


The  Messages  of  Jesus 


Hamack's 

cautious 

statement 


Papias 


The  silence 
of  Papias 
does  not 
argue 
against 
existence  of 
Fourth  Gos- 
pel 


Witness  of 
Polycarp; 
his  relation 
to  John 


Statement  covers  well  the  situation,  namely,  that  it  cannot 
be  proved  that  Justin  reckoned  the  Fourth  Gospel  "among 
the  Memoirs  of  the  Apostles  and  regarded  it  as  Apostolic 
— Johannine.  .  .  .  However,  I  will  not  treat  it  as  out  of  the 
question  that  Justin  held  the  Fourth  Gospel  as  Apostohc — 
Johannine.  ...  So,  then,  one  must  leave  open  the  possi- 
bility, yea,  a  certain  probability,  that  the  designation  of  the 
Fourth  Gospel  as  the  work  of  the  Apostle  was  to  be  found 
already,  in  155-160  a.d.,  namely  on  the  part  of  Justin."  ^ 
Papias  is  the  next  witness  on  our  way  back  toward  the 
beginning  of  the  second  century  a.d.  He  was  Bishop  of 
Hieropolis,  and  his  life  extends  from  the  latter  years  of  the 
first  century  (70  or  80  a.d.)  to  near  the  middle  of  the  second. 
"\Miat  little  we  have  from  his  pen  is  found  in  Eusebius,^ 
and  has  been  the  subject  of  repeated  discussion.  It  is 
he  who  introduces  us  to  "John  the  Presbyter,"  about 
whose  actual  existence  critics  are  yet  disputing.  In  accord 
with  the  principle  of  Eusebius  to  say  very  little  regarding 
books  which  were  entirely  undisputed,  no  argument  can  be 
made  against  the  existence  of  the  Fourth  Gospel  from  the 
silence  of  Papias.  Rather,  it  shows  that  he  did  make 
use  of  the  Gospel,  but  we  have  no  direct  testimony  from 
him  to  its  authorship.  The  bearing  of  the  witness  of 
Polycarp  upon  the  question  of  authorship  is  much  the 
same.  It  is  important,  however,  to  note  just  his  position 
and  relationship  to  the  Apostle  John.     His  martyrdom 

1  Chronologic  i,  p.  673.  2  jj^ist.  Eccles.,  iii,  36, 39. 

20 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John        Introduction 

took  place  in  155  or  156  a.d.,  and  he  declared  that  he  had 
been  a  Christian  eighty -six  years.     Interpreting  this  as  the 
length  of  his  life,  as  is  generally  done,  we  are  carried  back 
to  A.D.  70  as  the  time  of  his  birth.     If  John  the  Apostle 
lived  in  Ephesus  (see  chapter  3),  Poly  carp  was  his  con- 
temporary for  most,  or  all,  of  the  time  of  that  residence; 
and  "the  accounts  which  he  gave  (to  Irenaeus)  of  his  in- 
tercourse with  John"  mean  much  when  it  comes  to  a  gen- 
eral estimate  of  the  evidence  for  authorship.     The  brief  Witness  to 
review  of  that  evidence  which  we  have  made  shows  us  that  Gospel  and 
the  direct  witness  to  authorship  is  very  scanty  for  the  time  ship  n*t°^ 
preceding  Irenasus.     The  same  is  not  true  of  the  witness  ^^"^^^^  ^"^ 
to  the  existence  of  the  Gospel.     Is  not  the  real  reason  for 
the   difference  the  fact  that  the  authorship  of  John  was 
not  a  disputed  question  ?     Certainly  for  Irenaeus  there  was 
no  such  question,  and,  bearing  in  mind  his  relation  to  the 
men  who  had  lived  since  the  days  of  John,  could  he  have 
been  silent  had  such  a  question  come  from  earlier  days? 
It  is  said,  however,  that  he  is  attributing  to  John  the  Apos- 
tle what  should  be  assigned  to  John  the  Presbyter.     Now  The  epithet 
it  is  true  that  more  than  once  the  very  epithet  which  we  waSg^ 
should  like  for  the  sake  of  certainty,  namely,  "Apostle," 
is  wanting.     The  John  to  whom  reference  is  made  is  called  The  de- 
"the  beloved  disciple" — a  description  which  would  apply  "Teb'ved 
to  John  the  Presbyter— but  is  it  likely  that  Polycarp  or  ^'gS^fit' 
those  who  were  in  close  contact  with  him,  were  mistaken  p°e^y^er 
as  to  the  source  of  the  Gospel  which  they  certainly  treated 
21  . 


Introduction 


The  Messages  of  Jesus 


as  Apostolic,  or  that  knowing  that  John  the  Presbyter  was 

its  author,  they  were  so  indifferent  to  the  fact,  that  the 

whole  Church  at  the  close  of  the  second  century  mistook 

It  is  the  close  him  for  the  Apostle?     What  might  perhaps  be  maintained 

ErShip  of  by  considering  each  witness  as  isolated  has  Httle  force  when 

thatllas^^^^^  we  remember  the  living  relation  in  which  they  all  stood. 

weight  'pjjg  most  reasonable  supposition  is  that  whenever  they 

refer  to  John,  they  mean  the  Apostle,  and  that  the  tradition 

of  authorship,  which  is  clear  and  decisive  in  the  year  i8o 

A.D.,  has  had  living  testimony  to  its  truth  from  generation 

to  generation — even  from  John  to  Irenaeus, 

2.  Internal  Evidence. 


Course  of  In  turning  to  consider  the  evidence  from  the  Gospel 

"      ^         itself,  no  better  course  can  be  followed  than  is  outlined  in 
the  old  familiar  argument  which  advanced  by  given  stages 
from  the  nationality  of  the  writer,  through  the  character- 
istics of  his  narrative,  to  the  specific  question  as  to  who  in 
himself  met  best  the  requirements  which  they  collectively 
demand.     In  our  progress  we  may  thus  note  by  the  way 
the  discussions  of  most  recent  criticism  and  their  value. 
First  propo-  Our  first  proposition,  then,  is  that  the  writer  of  the  Gospel, 
author  a  Jew  whoever  he  may  have  been,  was  a  Jew.     No  fact  regarding 
the  book's  authorship  is  perhaps  more  generally  conceded 
This  fact       than  this.     "The  author,"  says  Thoma,  "  imbibed  with  his 
concSed       mother's  milk  the  Jewish  way  of  thinking."  ^     "There  is 

1  Genesis  des  Evan.  Johan.,  p.  787. 
22 


According  to  the   Gospel  of  John        Introduction 

nothing  to  preclude  his  Jewish  birth;  his  style  and  methods 
of  presentment  favor  its  admission."  *  The  intimate  friend 
of  Jesus,  found  in  the  Gospel,  must  have  been  a  Hebrew; 
his  Semitic  extraction  is  recognizable  both  in  his  style 
with  its  dislike  for  periodic  structure  and  in  his  forms  of 
thought."  2  "The  evidence  is  overwhelming  that  the  au- 
thor of  the  Gospel  was  a  Jew."  ^  The  most  patent  evi-  Seen  in  the 
dence  of  this  is,  perhaps,  the  style  of  the  Greek.  Every  Greek 
student  of  New-Testament  Greek  knows  that  this  Gospel 
is  one  of  the  easiest  books  in  the  New  Testament  to  read, 
but  not  every  student  knows  why  it  is  so.  The  simplicity 
of  diction  is  because  of  its  Hebraic  character.  The  He- 
brew and  Aramaic  have  comparatively  little  syntax.  There 
is  no  great  variety  of  connecting  particles;  an  absence  of 
periodic  structure;  a  fondness  for  parallehsm  of  sentences. 
All  these  appear  in  the  style  of  the  Fourth  Gospel.  "So  * 
completely  is  this  (the  Hebrew)  character  maintained 
throughout,  that  there  is  hardly  a  sentence  which  might  not 
be  translated  hterally  into  Hebrew  or  Aramaic  without 
any  violence  to  the  language  or  the  sense." 

Another  proof  that  the  author  was  a  Jew  is  found  in  his  Seen  again 
intimate  knowledge  of  Jewish  customs  and  conditions,  thor's  inti- 
His  knowledge  of  the  Jewish  feasts,  for  example,  extends  ^ge ofjew- 
to  particulars  to  which  he  refers  simply  in  passing,  as  and  oSdi^^ 

1  H.  T.  Holtzmann,  Das  Evan,  des  Johannes,  p.  i6.  ^^°°^ 

2  Jiilicher,  Introd.  N.  T.,  p.  415. 

3  Sanday,  Criticism  of  the  Fourth  Gospel,  p.  128. 
*  Lightfoot,  Expositor,  1890,  p.  17. 

23 


Introduction 


The  Messages  of  Jesus 


Examples  of 
this  knowl- 
edge 


Jewish  ex- 
pectation re- 
garding 
Messiah  de- 
picted 


Seen  in  the 
manner  of 
some  of  the 
Old-Testa- 
ment quota- 
tions 


though  they  were  quite  familiar  to  him  (see  lo:  22;  7:  37, 
2^^).  One  of  the  important  questions  in  the  days  of  Jesus 
was  regarding  purification.  This  appears  in  the  Gospel 
(see  2:  6;  3:  25;  11:  55;  18:  28;  19:  31).  The  fourth  chap- 
ter shows  the  feud  between  the  Jews  and  Samaritans 
(4:  9,  20;  8:  48).  In  the  same  chapter  comes  to  light  the 
attitude  of  the  doctors  of  the  law  toward  women  (4:27). 
All  through  the  Jewish  expectation  regarding  the  Messiah 
is  set  forth,  now  in  connection  with  the  Baptist's  preach- 
ing (i:  19);  now  in  the  discussions  of  the  people  (7:  27,  42; 
12:  34);  now  in  the  references  to  Scripture  with  which  they 
were  familiar  (5:  39,  46;  12:  41),  Instead  of  the  Saddu- 
cees,  the  high-priests  (who  at  this  time  were  Sadducees) 
are  referred  to,  and  their  acceptance  of  the  dictation  of  the 
Pharisees,  because  of  the  fear  of  the  people,  as  shown  in 
the  Gospel,  is  a  fine  historical  touch.  ^ 

A  third  proof  that  a  Jew  wrote  the  Gospel  is  that  some 
of  the  quotations  from  the  Old  Testament  indicate  a 
knowledge  of  the  original  Hebrew  Scriptures,  either  di- 
rectly or  indirectly,  through  an  Aramaic  paraphrase.  ^  The 
three  passages  which  are  of  interest  in  this  connection  are: 
19:  37 — "They  shall  look  on  him  whom  they  pierced," 
which  is  taken  from  Zee.  12:  10.  The  LXX.  of  this  reads, 
''because  they  insulted,"  instead  of  "whom  they  pierced." 
Here  another  version  than  the  Septuagint  may  have  been 


^  See  Lightfoot,  Expositor,  1890,  p.  86. 
2  Sanday,  Expositor,  1892,  p.  181. 

24 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John        Introduction 

used,  but  12:  40  (Isa.  6:  10)  and  13:  18  (Ps.  41:  9)  require 
a  different  solution  (see  commentaries  in  loco). 

Taken  together,  these  considerations  have  left  little  room  The  use  of 
for  doubt  that  a  Jew  wrote  the  Gospel,     The  objection  "the  Jews" 
framed  from  the  use  of  the  designation  "the  Jews"  is  not  objection 
significant,  as  it  is  now  understood  that  the  description  is 
not  used  in  a  spirit  of  contempt,  but  is  simply  historical. 

The  next  proposition,  that  the  author  was  a  Palestinian  Second  prop- 
Jew,  has  not  received  such  general  recognition  as  the  first,  author  a 
A  supposedly  effective  argument  against  this  proposition  is  jew^^  ^^^^^ 
drawn  from  the  topography  of  the  Gospel.     It  is  safe  to 
say  that  the  geographical  details  of  the  Gospel  no  longer  The  geo- 
make  any  valid  argument  against  it;  indeed,  so  much  of  its  ^t^\\soi 
geography  has  been  confirmed  by  recent  research  that  the  dcf  iSrn^ow 
whole  consideration  passes  over  to  the  positive  side,  and  ag|?nst  this 
may  be  used  as  a  support  against  other  points  of  attack. 
No  mistake  has  been  made  regarding  Bethany  beyond 
Jordan;  it  is  in  no  way  confounded  with  Bethany  "fifteen 
furlongs"   from   Jerusalem   (11:  18).     The  old  difficulty 
regarding  Sychar  is  explained  by  the  site  of  the  present 
Askar.     So,  too,  ".^non  near  Salim"  has  been  satisfacto- 
rily located,  as  well  as  Ephraim  in  the  wilderness.     The  Notable 
noteworthy  feature  of  the  author's  geographical  knowledge  author'? 
is  that  it  concerns  all  parts  of  the  land,  and  it  comes  to  fariifowt" 
light  incidentally  as  though  he  were  familiar  with  the  scenes  ^^^® 
to  which  he  refers.     He  thus  speaks  of  the  whole  region 
about  Jacob's  well;  of  the  scenery  and  surroundings  of  the 

25 


Introduction 


The  Messages  of  Jesus 


Use  of  the 
description 
"Sea  of 
Tiberias" 
may  point 
to  time  of 
transition 


The  ex- 
pression 
"high 
priest  of 
that  year' 


Sea  of  Galilee;  and  of  localities  in  and  about  Jerusalem. 
Either  he  must  have  gained  his  knowledge  from  books — a 
means  which  Sanday  ^  has  shown  quite  inadequate  for  such 
knowledge  as  is  evident — or  he  must  have  resided  a  long 
time  in  the  land  as  did  Origen  or  Jerome,  or  he  must  have 
been  a  native  of  the  land.  Between  the  second  and  third 
explanations  decision  can  be  made  sure,  perhaps,  only  by 
an  appeal  to  other  characteristics  of  the  Gospel  which 
shall  confirm  this  accuracy  of  geographical  detail.  There 
is  nothing  in  the  geography  itself  which  stands  in  the  way 
of  Palestinian  origin.  Furrer's  objection, ^  that  the  use  of 
the  "Sea  of  Tiberias"  for  the  "Sea  of  Gahlee"  is  a  mark 
of  second-century  origin,  may  be  accounted  for  on  the  the- 
ory of  the  date  of  the  Gospel  being  just  at  the  beginning 
of  the  transition  from  one  form  to  the  other.^ 

One  historical  detail  is  usually  cited  as  indicating  a 
writer  from  some  centre  in  the  Dispersion,  and  that  is  the 
reference  to  the  high-priest  of  "that  year"  (ii:  49,  51; 
18:  13).  Of  this  H.  Holtzmann  says,  "that  it  is  due  to 
the  author's  familiarity  with  the  practice  in  Asia  Minor  of 
annually  changing  the  high-priest  of  the  new  temple  ded- 
icated to  the  worship  of  the  Emperor,  the  year  being  called 
by  his  name."  *    This  could  only  be  on  the  assumption 


1  Expositor,  1802,  pp.  164-170. 

2  Zeitschrift  fur  die  N.  T.  Wissenschajl,  1902,  p.  261. 

3  See  Sanday,  Criticism  0}  the  Fourth  Gospel,  p.  114. 
*  Lehrb.  d.  Einleitung  in  die  N.  T.,  p.  469. 

26 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John        Introduction 

that  heathen  custom  in  the  matter  was  to  be  taken  as  the 
norm  of  custom  in  Jerusalem — an  unlikely  assumption 
for  a  Jew  anywhere.     Why  is  not  the  explanation  of  Weiss  Weiss's 
and  others  completely  satisfactory,   "He  was  the  high-  factory 
priest  of  that  noteworthy,  fatal  year"? 

Such  points  as  are  cited  to  show  the  influence  of  Alex- 
andrian thought,  and  hence  that  the  Gospel  is  from  the 
pen  of  an  extra-Palestinian  Hellenist,  will  be  noted  in  the 
chapter  on  the  formative  influences  of  the  Gospel. 

The  third  proposition,  which  we  now  must  consider,  is  Third  prop- 
that  the  writer  of  the  Gospel  was  an  e;ye-witness  of  the  thor°an'  eye- 
events  he  narrates  and  a  personal  companion  of  the  Lord.  '^'^^^^^ 
Just  here  it  is  important  to  emphasize  again  the  fact  that  Trust- 
the  whole  consideration  of  the  trustworthiness  of  the  Gos-  of  Gospel 
pel  rests  upon  two  bases,  the  general  character  of  the  dis-  b2es°°  *^° 
courses  and  the  historicity  of  their  narrative  settings.     We 
have  already  seen  that  we  must,  for  the  discourses,  allow 
a  considerable  subjectivity  which  leaves  them  true  to  truth, 
if  not  always  in  ipsissimis  verbis.     The  question  now  is, 
Have  we  such  a  presentation  of  the  historical  situation, 
revealed  in  events,  conditions,  and  atmosphere,  as  leads 
us  to  conclude  that  one  who  was  actually  present,  an  actor 
in  the  scenes  he  depicts,  or  a  witness  of  the  events  he  nar- 
rates, is  giving  us  the  record  of  the  whole  ?     So  important 
is  it  to  keep  this  question  in  mind  as  one  considers  the  suc- 
cessive scenes  of  the  Gospel,  that  we  have  called  the  read- 
er's attention  to  it  in  various  introductions  to  the  scenes 
27 


Introduction  The  Messages  of  Jesus 

themselves.  At  this  point  we  should  like  to  give  a  unified 
The  author  impression  of  the  testimony.  It  is  well  to  note  at  the  out- 
an  eye-wit-^  Set  that  in  Several  different  places  the  writer  makes  the 
^^^^  distinct  claim  to  being  an  eye-witness.     These  passages 

are  i:  14;  19:  35;  21:  24,  and  i  John  i:  i.  Each  merits  a 
moment's  attention.  The  First  Epistle  of  John  "is  so 
closely  connected  with  the  Fourth  Gospel  in  vocabulary, 
style,  thought,  scope,  that  these  two  books  cannot  but  be 
Passage  in  regarded  as  works  of  the  same  author."  ^  The  declaration 
of  the  opening  words  of  the  Epistle  is,  therefore,  pertinent. 
"That  which  was  from  the  beginning,  that  which  we  have 
seen  with  our  eyes,  that  which  we  beheld,  (edeaa-dfieBa)  and 
our  hands  handled,  concerning  the  Word  of  life."  To 
behold  (Beao-dai)  is,  in  the  New  Testament,  used  uni- 
formly of  bodily  vision  and,  taken  together  with  the  words 
"our  hands  handled,"  makes  a  strong  assertion  of  actual 
John  1:14  personal  association  with  Jesus.  Of  the  same  decisive 
character  is  the  statement  in  John  i:  14,  "The  Word  be- 
came flesh  and  dwelt  among  us  (and  we  beheld,  ideaadfieday 
his  glory,  glory  as  of  the  only  begotten  from  the  Father) 
John  19:3s  full  of  grace  and  truth."  The  third  passage,  19:35, 
"And  he  that  hath  seen  hath  borne  witness  and  his  wit- 
ness is  true;  and  he  (eKetvos)  knoweth  that  he  saith  true 
that  ye  also  may  believe,"  has  caused  some  difiiculty  be- 
cause of  the  peculiar  form  of  reference  in  eKetvos.    Who 

1  Westcott,  Epistles  of  John,  p.  30.    This  is  also  the  judgment  of  several 
critics  who  do  not  accept  the  authorship  of  John  the  Apostle  for  the  Gospd. 

28 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  JoJm       Introduction 

is  referred  to  thereby?    Is  it  the  author  objectifying  him- 
self (Weiss,  Godet,  Bruce,  Westcott),  or  is  he  pointing 
to  Christ  (Zahn,  Sanday)  ?     Godet  has  shown  the  absurdity 
of  referring  it  to  a  third  party  and  thus  construing  it  into 
a  denial  of  the  apostoHc  origin  of  the  Gospel.     The  first 
interpretation  is  to  be  preferred;  it  is  in  keeping  with  the 
usage  of  e/cetj/off  elsewhere  in  the  Gospel  (see  9:  37).     In  John  21: 24 
21:  24  we  have  the  confirmation  of  the  trustworthiness  of 
the  Apostle's   record  as  that   of  an   eye-witness.      The 
"we"  may  be  the  Ephesian  elders.     Such  is  the  direct 
claim  which  the  writer  makes.     What  does  the  Gospel  How  does 
offer  us    to   substantiate   the   claim?     Leaving   particu-  substa°n-^^ 
lars   to   be  noted  in  connection  with  the  interpretation  ciaim?^^^ 
of  the  different  chapters,  we  offer  several  general  con- 
siderations: 

(i)  Details  regarding  time,  place,  persons,  which  have  no  Unessential 
especial  importance  for  the  narrative  are  best  explained  as  expkine?* 
personal  reminiscences.     "On  the  morrow  he  seeth  Jesus  JemfnS^^^ 
coming"  (i:  29).     " It  was  about  the  tenth  hour"  (i:  39).  "nces 
"The  third  day  there  was  a  marriage,"  etc.  (2:  i).     "Philip 
answered  him"   (6:  7).     "Now  the  servant's  name  was 
Malchus"    (18:  10).     There  are  many  such  unessential 
details  in  the  Gospel. 

(2)  The   persons  who  enter  upon  the  scene   are   sin-  Persons  de- 
gularly  life-like   and   real — the   Baptist,   Peter,  Andrew,  Snguiariy 
Thomas,  Judas,  Pilate,  Martha,  and  Mary.     The  first  ^^^^^y"^^ 
chapter,  for  example,  is  remarkable  not  only  in  its  group 
29 


Introduction 


TJie  Messages  of  Jesus 


Touches  of 
local  color 
in  various 
places 


Dr.  Drum- 

mond's 

opinion 


of  personages,  but  in  their  distinctness  and  historical  truth- 
fulness, as  we  can  verify  them  from  other  sources. 

The  Gospel  is  singularly  faithful  to  the  historical  situa- 
tion in  regard  to  the  two  great  parties  in  Jerusalem.  The 
Pharisees  in  most  cases  take  the  initiative  against  Jesus. 
When  the  Sadducees  come  to  the  front,  as  in  ii:  47-50,  it 
is  with  their  characteristic  fear  in  mind,  "The  Romans 
will  come  and  take  away  both  our  place  and  nation." 
Pilate's  pitiful  position  between  Rome  and  the  relentless 
accusers  of  Jesus  is  vividly  portrayed.  These  are  but 
some  of  the  figures  that  play  consistently  their  parts  in  the 
scenes  that  are  true  to  the  times  in  which  Jesus  lived. 

(3)  In  various  scenes  there  are  touches  of  local  color 
which  imply  personal  experience.  This  appears,  for  exam- 
ple, in  the  conversation  of  Jesus  with  the  Samaritan  woman; 
in  her  appeal  to  Jacob,  and  in  her  question  about  the  place 
where  men  ought  to  worship.  Chapters  6,  7,  9  have  many 
similar  touches  in  them. 

These,  together  with  the  writer's  familiarity  with  the 
land  of  Palestine  and  with  Jerusalem,  are  points  not  easily 
accounted  for,  if  the  writer  himself  was  not  an  eye-witness. 
Dr.  Drummond  does  not  feel  their  cogency,  thinking  that 
such  an  ''unexampled,  unknown,  and  unmeasured  literary 
genius  "^  as  the  writer  of  the  Gospel  was,  could  have  pro- 
duced "an  untrue  narrative  possessing  such  verisimili- 
tude," or,  at  least,  that  it  would  be  hazardous  to  say  that 

1  Authorship  and  CItaracier,  p.  378. 
30 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John       Introduction 

he  could  not.  To  which  Sanday's  reply  is  certainly  suf- 
ficient, that  ''where  facts  can  be  explained  easily  and  nat- 
urally without  having  recourse  to  any  such  extraordinary 
assumption,  the  world  is  content  so  to  explain  them." 

In  addition  to  all  these  evidences  for  an  eye-witness  who  Was  the 
was  a  Jew  of  Palestine,  have  we  any  which  show  us  that  he  an  apostle? 
may  have  been  a  member  of  the  little  band  chosen  by  the 
Lord  to  accompany  him  through  the  land,  and  carry  on 
his  work  after  he  was  gone?     In  other  words,  have  we  any 
reasons  for  thinking  that  the  writer  was  an  apostle?     It  Designa- 
is  well  known  that  the  writer  does  not  name  himself,  but  iJTddems 
there  are  designations  which  point  to  some  one  who  was  fome'one 
very  near  the  Master.     Thus  in  21:  20  Peter  refers  to  JJe^iaster 
"the  disciple  whom  Jesus  loved,"  and  he  is  spoken  of  as 
reclining  near  to  Jesus  at  the  supper  (13:  23).     He  also 
stood  by  the  mother  of  Jesus  at  the  cross  (19:26),  and 
was  in  company  with  Peter,  when  Jesus  appeared  to  the 
disciples  on  the  shore  of  the  Lake  of  Galilee  (21:  7).     At 
the  opening  of  the  story  of  the  Gospel  two  disciples  heard 
Jesus  speak,  accepted  his  invitation  to  go  to  his  abode. 
One  of  the  two  was  Andrew,     The  other,  who  remembers 
distinctly  the  hour  when  they  went  with  Jesus  (four  o'clock 
in  the  afternoon),  is  not  named.     Is  this  perhaps  the  one 
who  is  afterward  called  "the  beloved  disciple?"     Before 
this  question  can  be  answered,  it  will  be  well  to  ascertain 
if  the  Gospel  itself  gives  us  evidence  of  the  writer's  close 
fellowship  with  the  Lord  and  his  disciples.     It  is  Weiz-  er" view " 
31 


Introduction 


The  Messages  of  Jesus 


Evidence 
that  the  un- 
named dis- 
ciple came 
close  to 
Jesus 


Evidence 
that  he  was 
closely  as- 
sociated 
with  the 
band  of 
apostles 


sacker  who  thinks  that  the  portrait  of  Jesus  given  us  in  the 
Fourth  Gospel  could  not  have  been  drawn  by  a  personal 
friend.^  Exactly  the  opposite  seems  to  us  the  case.  The 
very  interpretation  which  it  offers  presupposes  an  intimacy 
in  association  which  would  prepare  him  for  this  portrayal. 
Even  amid  the  limitations  of  his  first  discipleship,  a  nature 
such  as  the  writer  of  this  Gospel  reveals  would  give  re- 
sponse to  the  exalted  truth  to  which  he  hstened.  How 
much  more  would  he  be  able  to  glorify  the  life  which  in 
earthly  fellowship  had  been  so  spiritual,  when  his  own  ex- 
perience had  come  fully  to  understand  its  divine  meaning. 
Here  and  there  are  hints  that  this  "unnamed"  disciple 
was  admitted  to  very  close  personal  relationship  with  Jesus. 
He  gives  us  more  than  once  the  reason  why  the  Master 
adopted  a  certain  course  of  action  (2:  24;  4:  i;  5:  6;  6:  15; 
7:  I ;  13:  I ;  16:  19).  He  lets  us  see  that  often  the  mind  of 
Jesus  was  open  to  him  (6:  6,  11;  18:  4;  19:  25)  regarding 
the  future.  At  the  last  supper  he  reclined  upon  his  bosom; 
he  followed  him  to  the  high-priest's  palace,  stood  by  the 
cross,  and  there  received  the  care  of  his  mother.  Surely 
these  are  marks  of  especial  friendship. 

No  one  questions  the  fact  that  after  their  especial  ap- 
pointment the  disciples  were  constantly  with  Jesus  in  his 
journeyings  through  the  land.  If  the  data  which  may  be 
gathered  from  the  Gospel  lead  to  any  conclusion,  it  is  that 
the  writer  of  it  was  closely  acquainted  with  this  chosen 

1  Das  Apostol.  ZeiL,  p.  517. 
32 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John       Introduction 

band.  Their  thoughts,  secret  fears,  and  anxious  ques- 
tionings are  known  to  him  (2:  17;  4:  27;  6:  19,  60;  16:  17; 
20:  25).  He  tells  us  how  they  changed  their  views  of  cer- 
tain matters,  as  the  development  of  events  brought  them 
better  understanding  (2:  21;  11:  13;  12:  16;  13:  28;  20:  9). 
To  him  we  are  indebted  for  certain  conversations  of  Na- 
thanael,  Peter,  Thomas,  Philip,  and  others.  Indeed,  his 
whole  relation  to  the  disciples,  as  one  of  their  number, 
seems  natural  and  ordinary.  He  keeps  back  his  name,  but 
does  not  therebv  wish  to  appear  mysterious.     As  for  claim-  He  claims 

no  supen- 

ing  any  superiority  to  Peter,  it  is  not  apparent,  unless  one  ority  to 
construes  the  phrase  "the  disciple  whom  Jesus  loved," 
which  is  descriptive  of  personal  thanksgiving  and  praise, 
into  an  assumption  of  pride. 

There  seems  sufficient  reason,  therefore,  for  saying  that 
the  writer  of  the  Gospel  was  a  Palestinian  Jew,  who  en- 
joyed close  companionship  with  Jesus  and  his  disciples. 
We  now  reach  the  critical  question,  Who  was  he?     If  the  If  the  pre- 

^  '  vious  steps 

conclusions  formed  at  each  step  of  our  advance  are  cor-  are  sure, 
rect,  then  the  writer  must  have  been  either  the  Apostle  may  have 
John  or  some  disciple,  equally  favored.     Students  familiar  john  ^'^^ 
with  the  criticism  of  the  Gospel  know  that  each  alternative  Jo^J  dis- 
has  been  taken  and  defended.     It  will  be  of  interest  to  ex-  "ple 
amine  first  the  theory  which  ascribes  the  Gospel  to  "a  dis- 
ciple of  the  Lord"  who  is  not  John  the  Apostle.     One  form  Delff's 
of  this  theory  is  given  by  Dr.  Delff,  and  is  to  the  effect  that 
the  beloved  disciple  was  a  native  of  Jerusalem,  a  member 


Introduction  The  Messages  of  Jesus 

of  the  aristocracy,  and  belonged  to  one  of  the  high-priests' 
families.  The  supports  for  this  are  the  statement  (i8:  15) 
that  "that  disciple  was  known  unto  the  high-priest";  that 
so  large  a  part  of  the  Gospel  has  to  do  with  Jerusalem; 
that  Polycrates  speaks  of  John  wearing  the  irirakov  (the 
high-priest's  golden  plate);  that  Papias  (seconded  by  the 
de  Boor  Fragment)  declares  that  both  the  sons  of  Zebedee 
were  "slain  by  the  Jews."  This  "beloved  disciple"  can 
be  identified  with  John  the  Presbyter,  As  has  been  said 
before,  one  who  stood  in  such  close  contact  with  Jesus  and 
the  actual  scenes  of  his  Hfe  would  satisfy  the  requirements 
of  the  Gospel  itself.  There  are  certain  difficulties  in  the 
problem  which  would  be  met  by  the  acceptance  of  the 
Presbyter  John  as  the  author  of  the  Gospel,  but  there  are 
other  difficulties  created  which  are  certainly  grave.  The 
best  theory  is  that  which  will  cover  most  satisfactorily  the 
Objections  largest  number  of  facts.  Dr.  Delff's  view  compels  him  to 
De?ff%  consider  the  Galilean  events  of  the  Gospel  as  later  inser- 
tions; it  makes  the  necessity  of  accounting  for  the  John 
who  appears  with  Peter  in  the  Acts  and  in  Galatians;  it 
accepts  the  two  witnesses  as  to  the  violent  death  of  the 
Apostle,  as  against  the  common  tradition  of  the  Church 
that  the  Apostle  did  not  die  in  that  way.  Furthermore, 
any  identification  of  John  the  Apostle  with  John  the  Pres- 
byter must  assume  confusion  on  the  part  of  those  whose 
relations  to  each  other  in  life  and  work  make  such  con- 
fusion difficult  to  accept.  Partition  theories  admitting 
34 


View 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  JoJm       Introduction 

two  hands  in  the  construction  of  the  Gospel  run  against 
the  serious  difficulty  of  the  structural  unity  of  the  Gospel. 
It  is,  therefore,  to  John  the  Apostle  we  turn,  as  giving  us  The  author, 
the  best  answer  to  the  question  of  authorship.     We  know 
from  the  Synoptics  that  he  was  one  of  an  inner  group 
from  the  Twelve  which  was  admitted  to  especial  privileges. 
It  is  no  argument  against  his  possible  relationship  with 
some  of  the  leaders  in  Jerusalem  that  he  was  a  fisherman 
in  Galilee,  and  his  residence  in  Ephesus,  in  the  latter  part 
of  his  fife,  has  not  been  successfully  disputed.     It  is  not  John's  au- 
cl  aimed  that  all  the  difficulties  of  this  intricate  problem  doe^notdo 
are  done  away  with  by  attributing  the  Gospel  to  John  the  alT  d^fficui- 
Apostle;  rather,  that  this  view  of  the  matter  meets  the  re-  ^'^^ 
quirements  of  the  case  more  fully  than  any  other.     As  has  it  meets  re- 
been  well  said,  "in  literary  questions  we  cannot  look  for  orthTcTse^ 
demonstration";  certainly  not  for  such  demonstration  as  [han^ot"her 
shall  convince  all  critics.     One  conclusion,  however,  is  ^^^^^ 
sure:  that  the  Gospel  gives  us  a  Christ  whose  portraiture 
does  not  contradict  that  of  the  Synoptics,  but  rather  en- 
larges and  glorifies  it,  and  places  it  in  an  historical  setting 
which  is  unquestionably  trustworthy. 


35 


Introduction 


The  Messages  of  Jesus 


III 


INFLUENCES    FORMATIVE   OF    THE   GOSPEL 


Exact  date 
of  writing 
of  Gospel 
uncertain 
Testimony 
as  to  its 
origin 
Clement  of 
Alexandria 


Eusebius 


The  exact  date  when  the  Gospel  was  written  cannot  be 
determined.  There  are,  however,  indications  sufficient  to 
help  us  to  fix  approximately  the  time.  First,  however,  it  is 
important  to  recall  what  tradition  has  to  say  regarding  its 
origin.  Clement  of  Alexandria  (circa  150-circa  220  a.d.), 
as  reported  by  Eusebius,^  says  that  ''John,  perceiving  that 
the  external  facts  had  been  made  plain  by  the  Gospel  (the 
Synoptic  account),  being  urged  by  his  friends,  and  inspired 
by  the  Spirit,  composed  a  spiritual  gospel."  Eusebius 
himself,  quoting  the  substance  of  an  existing  tradition, 
writes:  "They  say  that  John,  who  had  employed  all  his 
time  in  proclaiming  the  Gospel  orally,  finally  proceeded 
to  write  for  the  following  reason:  The  three  gospels  al- 
ready mentioned  having  come  into  the  hands  of  all,  and 
into  his  own  too,  they  say  that  he  accepted  them  and  bore 
witness  to  their  truthfulness;  but  that  there  was  lacking  in 
them  an  account  of  the  deeds  done  by  Christ  at  the  begin- 
ning of  his  ministry."  It  is  to  be  noted  in  passing,  that  this 
testimony  gives  an  inadequate  impression  as  to  the  "sup- 
plementary" character  of  the  Gospel,  which  does  indeed 
supplement  the  Synoptics,  but  not  only  in  the  way  Eu- 

1  H.  £.,  vi,  14;  iii,  24. 

36 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John       Introduction 

sebius  supposes.     The  Muratorian  Canon  (date  uncertain,  Muratorian 

but  some  time  near  the  beginning  of  the  second  century) 

is  more  explicit  in  its  witness.     "The  Fourth  Gospel  (was 

written  by)  John,  one  of  the  disciples   (i.  e.,  Apostles). 

When  his  fellow-disciples  and  bishop  urgently  pressed 

him,  he  said,  'Fast  with  me  (from)  to-day,  for  three  days, 

and  let  us  tell  one  another  any  revelation  which  may  be 

made  to  us  either  for  or  against  (the  plan  of  writing).'     On 

the  same  night  it  was  revealed  to  Andrew,  one  of  the 

apostles,  that  John  should  relate  all  in  his  own  name  and 

that  all  should  review  (his  writing)."^ 

Irenaeus  tells  us  that  John  lived  in  Asia  until  the  time  irena;us 
of  Trajan,  2  and  that  he  published  his  gospel  while  staying 
at  Ephesus,  in  Asia.^    Here  is  evidence  of  a  persisting  tra-  A  persistent 
dition  that  John  wrote  his  gospel  while  in  Asia.     Un-  that  the 
doubtedly  there  are  embellishing  details  which  must  be  wdtfen  in^^ 
subtracted  from  the  account,  but  the  fact  that  the  Gospel  ^p^^sus 
was  written  in  Ephesus,  in  the  later  years  of  the  Apostle's 
hfe,  seems   adequately  attested.     The  testimony  of  Ire- 
naeus, as  we  have  seen  in  the  preceding  chapter,  is  much 
more  than  an  isolated  statement.     It  is  based  upon  an  ex- 
perience which  reaches  back  through  personal  relation- 
ship to  the  Apostle  himself.     We  turn  now  to  mark  those  Internal  in- 
indications  within   the    Gospel  itself  which  support  this  late  date 
external  testimony.     Taking  smaller  matters  first,  we  note 

1  Muratorian  Fragment  (lines  9-16).  ^  Euseb.  H.  £.,  iii,  23. 

3  Hid.,  V,  8 

37 


Introduction 


TJie  Messages  of  Jesus 


Evangelist 
explains 
Jewish 
names  and 
customs 


Retrospec- 
tive pas- 
sages 


The  escha- 
tology  of 
the  Gospel 


that  the  evangelist  explains  Jewish  names  and  customs. 
The  other  gospels  give  us  such  explanations,  but  in  John 
they  are  more  frequent  and  particular.  The  removal  of  his 
hearers  both  in  time  and  space  from  the  scenes  of  the 
Lord's  ministry  would  make  these  explanations  very  help- 
ful. Examples  may  be  seen  in  2:  6;  5:  2;  6:  i,  4;  7:  2,  37; 
9:  7;  10:22,  23;  11:18,  55;  12:  i;  18:  28;  19:  14, 17,  31,  42; 
21:  I.  Again,  there  are  passages  which  show  that  he 
looked  back  to  a  time  when  statements  were  made  which 
were  not  then  realized,  as,  for  example,  that  about  the 
Spirit:  "The  Spirit  was  not  yet  given  because  Jesus  was 
not  yet  glorified"  (7: 39).  Such  interpretations  given 
from  the  light  of  his  present  experience  are  found  in 
12:33;  18:32;  19:36;  21:19.  But  these  are,  after  all, 
minor  matters.  There  are  weightier  considerations  which 
mark  far  more  clearly  the  late  date  of  the  Gospel.  Space 
forbids  the  setting  forth  of  more  than  one  or  two.  One  of 
the  notable  features  of  the  Gospel  is  its  eschatology.  It  is 
well  known  that  the  Epistles  of  Paul  look  forward  to  the 
second  coming  of  the  Lord  as  an  event  of  the  near  future, 
and  describe  its  realization  in  terms  which  are  almost 
wholly  apocalyptical.  In  the  Synoptics  Jesus  himself  had 
spoken  in  language  which  seemed  to  give  warrant  to  these 
hopes.  It  is  remarkable  how  little  of  this  apocalyptical 
form  of  expectation  is  found  in  the  Gospel.  Is  it  not  to  be 
explained  by  the  stupendous  changes  which  had  come 
upon  Judaism,  leaving  the  horizon  clear  for  that  realiza- 

38 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John        Introduction 

tion  of  a  spiritual  coming  upon  which  the  Fourth  Gospel 
lays  such  emphasis?  The  destruction  of  Jerusalem,  the 
opening  up  of  the  way  to  the  Gentiles,  the  essentially  spir- 
itual mission  of  Jesus — did  they  not  open  up  a  vision  of  a 
more  inward  and  real  coming  than  apocalyptic  forms  could 
convey?  ''There  are  no  prophecies  of  the  seizure  of  the 
Holy  City;  there  is  no  reiterated  promise  of  a  return;  the 
judgment  had  been  wrought.  Christ  had  come."^  And 
while  it  is  true  that  here  and  there  expressions  appear 
which  recall  the  apocalyptic  hope  of  earlier  days,  it  is  also 
true  that  "the  Parousia  is  taken  out  of  its  apocalyptic  set- 
ting and  identified  with  the  return  of  Christ  in  that  larger 
spiritual  activity  on  which  he  had  entered  through  his 
death."  2  This  change  of  emphasis  could  come  only  with 
time.  Events  must  show  that  no  such  speedy,  visible  re- 
turn as  the  early  Church  longed  for,  was  originally  intended 
by  Jesus  himself.  There  must  be  a  process  of  coming  be- 
fore there  could  be  such  issues  as  apocalyptic  forms  present 
to  us  without  historical  perspective.  How  often  since  the 
early  apostolic  age  the  Church  has  made  the  same  mistake, 
and  become  almost  impatient  of  the  slow  development  of 
a  spiritual  kingdom!  The  thought  of  Christ's  return  is  as 
vital  to  John  as  it  is  to  Paul  and  the  Synoptics,  but  it  is 
presented  to  us  in  its  more  spiritual  form,  due  not  simply 
to  his  own  insight,  but  to  the  possibility  of  that  fuller  un- 

1  Westcott,  Com.  on  John,  Introdiic,  p.  xxxviii. 

2  E.  F.  Scott,  The  Fourth  Gospd,  p.  312. 

39 


Christ' 
mission 


Introduction  The  Messages  of  Jesus 

derstanding  which  the  progress  of  the  years  and  of  Chris- 
tianity gave  him.     The  changes  of  time  throw  light  upon 
truth. 
The  uni-  Another  confirmation  of  the  later  date  of  the  Gospel, 

acter  of  from  the  Gospel  itself,  is  seen  in  the  emphasis  which  ap- 
pears upon  that  line  of  prophecy  which  has  to  do  with  the 
universal  character  of  Christ's  mission.  Not  only  does 
this  come  to  light  in  the  remembered  sayings  of  Jesus,  but 
the  Apostle  puts  it  into  interpretations  which  he  himself 
gives.  A  notable  instance  of  this  is  his  explanation  of  the 
judgment  of  Caiaphas.  The  crafty  priest  had  urged  the 
decisive  action  of  the  Sanhedrin  in  the  words  "it  is  ex- 
pedient for  you  that  one  man  should  die  for  the  people." 
John's  comment  is  that,  "he  said  this  not  of  himself,  but 
being  high -priest  in  that  year  he  prophesied  that  Jesus 
should  die  for  the  nation,  and  not  jor  the  nation  only,  hut 
in  order  that  he  might  gather  together  in  one  the  children  of 
God  that  were  scattered  abroad  (11:57).  With  force  does 
Westcott  say  of  this,  that  "When  the  evangelist  wrote  these 
words  he  was  reading  the  fulfilment  of  the  unconscious 
prophecy  of  Caiaphas  in  the  condition  of  the  Christian 
Church  about  him." ^  And  the  difference  between  him  and 
the  Synoptics,  as  the  same  author  says,  is  not  that  they 
give  us  no  idea  of  the  universahsm  of  the  mission  of  Jesus, 
but  that  they  neither  give  it  the  prominence  which  it  has 
in  the  Fourth  Gospel,  nor  trace  it  back  to  the  same  pro- 

1  Com.  on  John,  Introduc,  p.xxxvi. 
40 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John        Introduction 

found  reason  as  is  exhibited  in  such  sayings  as,  ''Everyone 
that  is  of  the  truth  heareth  my  voice"  (i8:  37),  and  es- 
pecially in  the  great  central  doctrine  of  the  Gospel — the 
doctrine  of  eternal  Ufe  through  faith  in  him.  The  bar- 
riers of  race  and  clime  are  all  down.  Jew  and  Gentile  are 
distinctions  lost  sight  of  in  the  one  name  Christian.  Judg- 
ment is  upon  men  as  men  who  turn  from  the  light  wherever 
it  comes  to  them.  God  so  loved  the  world  that  he  gave 
his  only  begotten  Son.  Judaism  had  made  its  decision. 
*'He  came  to  his  own  and  his  own  received  him  not" 
(i:  11).  "Now  it  is  the  Saviour  of  the  world"  who  stands 
forth  in  the  person  of  his  Master.  All  this  had  been  gain- 
ing new  and  larger  meaning  as  the  writer  faced  the  de- 
velopments of  his  later  years.  The  widening  vision  of 
experience  sent  him  back  to  the  life  and  words  of  Jesus  to 
find  in  them  the  larger  meaning  which  his  vision  called  for, 
and  the  promised  guidance  of  the  Spirit  (16:  13)  had  been 
given  him  to  just  this  end. 

Considerations  like  these  second  the  tradition  which  Some  time 

1  .  •  ^     1        /-.  1  11  f  i°  the  last 

assigns  the  writmg  of  the  Gospel  to  the  latter  years  of  decade  of 
John's  Ephesian  residence.     Without  presuming  to  specify  century 
the  year  we  are,  in  the  last  decade  of  the  first  century, 
sufficiently   near  the   time   for  our  immediate   purpose, 
namely,  the  study  of  the  influences  formative  of  the  Gospel. 

In  order  to  do  this  it  will  be  well  to  get  some  idea  of  the  Ephesus, 

,     ,  r  T-.    1  1  •  -IT  Jts  position 

position  and  character  of  Ephesus  at  this  period.     It  was  and  charac- 
the  capital  of  proconsular  Asia,  a  city  distinguished  for 
41 


Introduction  The  Messages  of  Jestis 

its  trade  and  commerce,  and  above  all,  as  the  place  of  the 
famous  temple  of  Diana.     These  three  facts  are  really  the 
indices  of  its  Kfe.     All  that  is  implied  in  the  term  ''official 
residence  "  characterized  this  Ionian  city.     In  the  wake  of 
its  large  and  flourishing  business  came  wealth,  luxury, 
and  grandeur.     Its  religious  importance  made  its  streets 
familiar  with  the  presence  of  strangers  from  all  over  the 
then-known  world  who  came  to  visit  its  wonderful  temple. 
And  it  is  told  us  that  in  a.d.  55  Artemis  of  Ephesus  was  the 
deity  "whom  all  Asia  and  the  civilized  world  worshipped." 
A  great        The  city,  therefore,  was  the  very  centre  of  heathenism.     A 
heatlfenism  lucrative  business  was  carried  on  in  the  manufacture  of 
small  silver  models  of  the  goddess,  which  travellers  took 
with  them  not  only  as  objects  of  worship,  but  also  as  a 
means  of  protection   against  evil  influences.     More  in- 
teresting for  us,  however,  than  the  noble  temple,  the  stately 
streets,  the  costly  homes,  and  the  crowds  of  heathen  wor- 
Much  intel-  shippers,  is  the  story  of  its  intellectual  activity.     Here  the 
tivity  with-   Greek  and  Asiatic  spirit  came  into  contact.     The  policy 
derV    ^^'     of  Alexander  to  make  his  conquests  centres  of  Greek 
civilization  was  carried  out  by  his  successors  in  all  this 
Western  Asia  Minor  coast.     But  Hellenism  means,  as  is 
well  known,  a  conglomerate  of  various  civilizations  under 
the  dominance  of  Greek  influence.     Greeks,  Jews,  and 
native  Asiatics  were  the  component  parts  of  the  populations 
of  these  flourishing  cities,  and  each  learned  from  the  other. 
All  comers  were  given  the  rights  of  citizens;  even  the 
42 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John        Introduction 

Jews  enjoyed  this  right  through  the  device  of  the  ''tribe," 
by  which  they  were  able  to  keep  their  own  forms  of  worship. 
The  result  was  that  ease  of  intercourse  which  insured  a 
rapid  development  in  commerce,  wealth,  and  culture.     In 
a  land,  however,  where,  apart  from  the  Jewish  inhabitants, 
the  highest   ideals   centred   about  false  gods,  there  was 
little  possibility  of  great,  noble  thought.     Religious  con-  Religions 
ceptions  and  philosophic  theories  were  compared,  discussed,  ophies 
and  modified,  but  withal  the  time  was  devoted  to  a  "rather  compared 
empty    and    shallow    kind   of    philosophic    speculation." 
Here  also  the  Greek  and  the  Jew  attempted  that  amalga- 
mation of  conceptions  with  which  Alexandria  has  made 
us  familiar.     In  a  word',  the  city  was  the  embodiment  of  a 
varied,  active,  restless,  superstitious,  corrupt  life  reaching 
out  far  and  wide  beyond  its  own  boundaries;  a  centre  of 
power  and  influence  of  immeasurable  importance.     It  is  Paul  turned 
not  strange  that  Paul  turned  to  it  as  a  point  of  vantage  for  greaf field 
the  proclamation  of  his  gospel.     The  length  of  his  stay  ^°''  ^°^^ 
shows  how  much  store  he  set  by  the  establishment  of 
Christianity    within    its    borders.     Amid    perils,    against 
fierce  opposition,  and  with  many  discouragements,  the 
brave  Apostle  labored  and  taught,  until  not  only  a  church 
was  built  up  within  the  city,  but  also  "all  they  that  dwell 
in  Asia  heard  the  word  of  the  Law,  both  Jews  and  Greeks."  The  letters 

to  seven 

We  have  only  to  turn  to  the  letters  to  the  seven  churches  churches 
to  discover  the  temptations  and  perils  which  beset  the  tioTof°^^" 
Church  in  this  region  of  worldly  ambitions,  moral  looseness,  this^eg^ion" 
43 


Introduction 


The  Messages  of  Jesus 


What  was 
demanded 
in  a 

preacher  of 
the  gospel 
in  Ephesus 


How  the 
Gospel 
meets  this 
demand 


John's 
growth  in 
spiritual 
knowledge 


and  fertile  speculation.  As  another  has  tersely  said, 
"The  Church's  centre  of  gravity  was  no  longer  at  Jerusalem ; 
it  was  not  yet  at  Rome;  it  was  at  Ephesus."  The  very 
situation  was  in  itself  an  invitation  to  such  an  one  as  John 
to  devote  his  best  energies  and  maturest  thought  to  the 
defence  and  support  of  the  truth  and  the  Church.  More 
was  demanded  than  a  recital  of  the  external  facts  of  the 
earthly  ministry.  Fanciful  speculations,  endless  geneal- 
ogies, and  ingenious  fables  had  to  be  met  and  discredited 
by  essential  and  abiding  principles,  by  invigorating  and 
ennobling  ideals,  by  a  vital,  divine,  personal  reality  whose 
fulness  and  perfection  would  satisfy  life's  profoundest 
needs  and  save  to  the  uttermost.  Paul  had  preached  all 
this  in  his  doctrines  of  the  "second  man  from  heaven"; 
of  the  exalted  and  indwelling  Christ.  John  came  to  tell 
over  the  story  of  redemption  in  such  a  way  as  should  show 
them  that  in  the  historical  Jesus  they  were  to  recognize  the 
eternal  Christ  who  evermore  gives  life  to  those  who  believe 
in  his  name.  And  so  "the  record  moves  not  on  the  hues 
of  the  ordinary  succession  of  events,  so  much  as  on  the 
pathway  of  ideas :  hfe  is  manifested  under  the  symbols  of 
water  and  of  bread;  truth  under  the  symbol  of  light. 
Miracles  are  signs,  and  words  are  the  instriunent  of  judg- 
ment."^ 

It  is  not  to  be  supposed  that  all  this  was  the  outcome  of 
some  sudden  resolution  to  write  a  gospel.     That  would  be 

1  J.  A.  Robinson,  The  Study  of  the  Gospels. 

44 


According  to  the   Gospel  of  JoJin        Introduction 

to  make  the  Gospel  a  creation,  rather  than  an  interpretation. 
Years  of  living  memories  lie  behind  it;  memories  which 
had  deepened  with  the  enlargement  of  experience;  memories 
which  had  been  told  again  and  again  with  ever  fresh 
accessions  of  insight  and  grasp  of  meaning.  When  we  what  is 
seek,  therefore,  for  the  formative  influences  of  the  Gospel  [he^phraL 
we  are  not  looking  for  those  which  have  contributed  to  the  influ^«'s" 
substance  of  the  truth  which  it  contains.  Jesus  and  his 
teaching  are  the  substance  of  the  Gospel.  We  are  seeking 
rather  to  determine,  if  we  may,  what  influences  entered 
into  the  experience  of  the  writer  to  help  him  to  the  em- 
phasis which  he  gives  to  the  "eternal"  in  Jesus;  to  lead 
him  to  the  selection  of  events  which  he  has  made,  and  to 
use  such  forms  of  expression  as  shall  present  his  Master 
most  comprehensively  to  his  readers.  The  dominant  pur- 
pose of  the  Gospel  of  course  also  exerts  a  moulding  influence 
upon  the  whole  Gospel.  As  distinct  from  this  and  con- 
tributory to  its  realization,  we  are  now  to  ask  what  in- 
fluences entered  into  the  shaping  of  the  Gospel,  making 
it  effective  for  the  exalted  purpose  which  the  writer  set 
before  him.  Three  may  be  noted:  (i)  The  Old  Testa- 
ment. (2)  The  teaching  of  Paul.  (3)  His  Ephesian 
environment. 

I.   The  Old  Testament 

John  was  a  Jew.     The  Old  Testament  Scriptures  were 
to  his  people  the  revelation  of  God,  and  yet  with  that 

45 


Introduction  The  Messages  of  Jesiis 

revelation  constantly  before  them,  they  had  rejected  Jesus. 

Was  he  therefore  a  contradiction  of  the  Messianic  hopes 

The  Gospel  which  their  holy  writings  contained?    The  question  brings 

jSdak'in     up  the  objection  to  this  Gospel  that  it  is  anti- Judaic  in 

^°°^  spirit  and  tone.     Such  terms  as  "the  Jews,"  "your  law," 

"Abraham  your  father,"  and  such  statements  as  "the 

hour  Cometh  when  ye  shall  in  this  mountain,  nor  yet  at 

Alleged        Jerusalem,  worship  the  Father,"  "Ye  are  of  your  father 

and-ju"^'*"  the  devil,"  and  "All  that  came  before  me  are  thieves  and 

daic  tone      robbers,"  are  used  to  prove  it.     If  the  proof  be  valid,  then 

the  declaration  of  Hilgenfeld  that  the  Gospel  "breaks 

every  bond  between  Christianity  and  its  Jewish  roots"  is 

The  real      true.     On  the  contrary,  the  distinct  aim  of  all  that  Jesus 

wrTt?/  in^    says  in  the  various  discourses  is  to  set  forth  the  preparatory 

th?Okf  ^  *°  character  of  the  Old-Testament  revelation  and  the  intimate 

Testament    j-glation    between    the   law,    the   prophets   and    himself. 

as  seen  m  7  i       x 

the  words     ''Salvation  is  of  the  Jews"  (4  :  22).     Had  they  beHeved 

Moses  they  would  have  believed  him,  for  Moses  wrote  of 

him  (5  :  46).     "These  things  said  Isaiah  because  he  saw 

Christ's  glory  and  spake  of  him"  (12  :  41 — a  comment  of 

Two  kinds    the  evangelist).     There    is    a  Judaism   and   a    Judaism 

of  Judaism  brought  to  light  in  this  Gospel.     One,  blind,  self-sufficient, 

bound  by  traditions,  and  deaf  to  the  spiritual  accent  of  true 

heavenly  teaching,  makes  every  contact  with  Jesus  the 

occasion  of  deepening  its  antagonism,  until  it  at  last  sets 

up  the  cross.     The  other,  holding  within  its  whole  course — 

law  and  prophets — the  promise  of  a  Messiah,  and  revealing 

46 


Accordi7ig  to  the  Gospel  of  John        Introduction 

in  its  history  a  divine  purpose  of  salvation,  comes   to  its 
final  glorious  issue  in  the  full  revelation  of  the  Son  of  God. 
Westcott's  remark  is  here  in  point,  that  "three,  and  three 
only,  of  the  old  saints,  Abraham,  Moses  and  Isaiah,  are 
mentioned  by  the  Lord  or  by  the  evangelist  in  connection 
with  Messiah.     These  three  cover  and  represent  the  three 
successive  periods  of  the  training  of  the  people;  so  subtle 
and  so  complete  are  the  harmonies  w^hich  underlie  the 
surface  of  the  text.     Christ  claimed  for  himself  testimonies  The  sources 
from  the  patriarchal,  the  theocratic  and  the  monarchical  monfes^^^^" 
stages  of  the  life  of  Israel."     But  it  is  not  to  three  names  ^lafmld  for 
or  to  three  stages  of  Israel's  history  that  the  thought  of  the  timseif 
evangelist  turned  in  meditating  upon  what  Christ  said  of 
the   preparation   of  his   people   for   his   coming.     Their 
whole  spiritual  history  was  adequately  interpreted  only 
in  the  Word  made  flesh.     He  is  the  key  to  the  Old-Testa-  Christ  the 
ment  Scriptures.     It  is  only  superficial  unspiritual  thinking  old  Testa- 
which  at  any  time  affects  to  think  that  the  law  and  the  °^^°^ 
prophets  are  of  little  worth.     Of  such  thinking  John  is  not 
guilty.     He  is  alive  to  the  divine  that  is  in  them,  and  while, 
as  other  writers  of  the  New  Testament,  he  dwells  upon  the 
superiority  and  glory  of  the  final  revelation  in  Jesus  Christ, 
he  has  seen,  too,  the  abiding  significance  of  those  prepara- 
tory scriptures  whose  meaning  cannot  be  broken. 


47 


Introduction 


The  Messages  of  Jesus 


Different 
judgments 
upon  rela- 
tion of  John 
and  Paul 


Judgment 
depends 
upon  con- 
ception of 
the  histori- 
cal charac- 
ter of  Gos- 
pel 


2.   The  Teaching  oj  Paul 

On  the  relation  of  John  to  Paul,  critical  judgment  has 
come  to  widely  differing  conclusions.  On  one  side  all 
conscious  relationship  between  them  as  far  as  the  Gospel 
is  concerned,  is  denied;  on  the  other,  the  Gospel  represents 
an  advanced  form  of  Paulinism.  ''The  Fourth  Gospel  is 
the  effort  of  a  gifted  mind  to  ground  the  higher  Christology 
of  Paul  in  an  interpretation,  based  on  partly  independent 
sources,  of  the  ministry  and  teaching  of  Jesus."  ^  In  some 
respects  the  Johannine  theology  may  be  considered  a  little 
more  than  the  natural  development,  along  one  particular 
line  of  Paulinism. "2  The  whole  of  the  Johannine  theology 
is  a  natural  development  from  the  PauHne."^  For  all 
of  these  writers,  of  course,  the  Gospel  is  not  a  true  rescript 
of  history,  and  John  did  not  write  it.  As  representing 
the  opposite  judgment,  Sanday  says:  "As  it  is,  the  two 
great  apostolic  cycles  (Paul  and  John)  stand  majestically 
apart.  There  may  be  a  connection  between  them,  but 
it  is  a  connection,  in  the  main,  imderground.  There  is  no 
direct  appHcation,  but  the  parentage  of  both  lies  behind."* 
As  has  been  suggested,  judgment  in  a  measure  depends 
upon  one's  conception  of  the  historical  character  of  the 
Gospel.     If  the  discourses  are  principally  constructions 

1  Bacon,  Introduc.  to  the  N.  T.,  p.  251. 

2  Scott,  The  Fourth  Gospel,  p.  49. 

3  Wemle.  *  Sanday,  Criticism  oj  the  Fourth  Gospel. 

48 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John        Introduction 

of  the  evangelist,  then  the  conclusion  is  not  difficult,  that 
similarities  of  conception  are  the  result  of  dependence; 
if  not,  then  affinities  must  be  differently  explained.  It 
would  be  surprising  if  such  an  interpretation  of  Jesus 
as  Paul  has  given  us  had  made  no  impression  upon  one 
who  came  into  the  very  region  where  it  had  been  taught 
and  received.  And  yet  no  one  can  compare  the  two  Differences 
writers,  Paul  and  John,  without  realizing  how  different  entationof 
is  their  whole  method  of  presentation.  The  theology  pauf  ^° 
of  Paul  centres  about  the  death  and  resurrection  of  his 
Master;  that  of  John  about  his  incarnation.  Neither 
leaves  out  that  which  deeply  interests  the  other,  but  the 
emphasis  is  not  the  same.  Paul  is  intent  upon  showing 
the  relation  of  Christ's  death  to  the  law;  he  cannot  be  too 
thankful  for  "the  righteousness  of  God,"  revealed  and 
communicated  in  the  propitiatory  death  of  Jesus.  The 
cross  is  for  John  the  highest  proof  of  the  love  and  grace  of 
God.  Justification  is  one  of  Paul's  great  words;  the  new 
life  "eternal"  is  for  John  the  inestimable  gift  of  God  through 
Christ.  And  so-  we  might  go  on  through  all  the  distinctive 
points  of  their  teaching.  If  John  has  borrowed  from 
Paul,  he  certainly  has  put  upon  all  that  he  has  taken  the 
stamp  of  his  own  genius.  The  stumbling-block,  however, 
to  all  this  thought  of  borrowing  is  that  it  requires  John  to  so 
shape  the  sayings  of  Jesus  as  to  ascribe  to  him  a  truth 
which  originated  only  with  Paul.  That  might  be,  if 
we  foimd  in  the  Gospel  simply  what  Wrede  calls  a  "peri- 
49 


Introduction 


TJie  Messages  of  Jesiis 


Illustra- 
tions of 
possible 
Pauline  in- 
fluence 


patetic  God,"  but  the  human  Jesus  of  the  Fourth  Gospel 
is  too  consistent  with  him  of  the  Synoptics  to  allow  this. 
Where  are  Where  then  does  the  Pauline  influence  come  in?  Simply 
for  PauHne  in  helping  the  evangelist  to  see  more  clearly  the  exalted 
in  uence  position  and  work  of  Jesus.  It  "bridged  the  way  back" 
for  the  memory  of  John  to  words  of  Jesus  which  became 
significant  in  the  light  of  Paul's  profound  interpretation. 
A  notable  instance  of  this  may  be  found  in  the  testimony 
of  John  the  Baptist  (1:29).  Paul's  setting  forth  of  the 
doctrine  of  the  cross  is  in  the  sentence,  "Who  taketh  away 
the  sin  of  the  world."  So  the  way  was  bridged  back  to 
those  reminiscences  in  which  Jesus  speaks  of  his  preexist- 
ence;  of  his  coming  to  dwell  in  the  hearts  of  believers;  of 
his  laying  down  his  life  for  the  sheep.  It  certainly  is  no 
derogation  of  the  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit  that  through  the 
thought  of  another  the  writer  of  the  Gospel  came  to  a 
profounder  sense  of  the  life  and  words  which  he  had  re- 
membered, or  that  he  had  them  thereby  quickened  in 
memory.  We  have  referred  to  the  subjective  element  in 
the  Gospel.  One  needs  but  to  run  over  the  comments  of 
the  evangelist,  and  then  ask  whether  this  potent  influence 
might  not  have  had  its  bearing  upon  them!  Back  of 
both  Paul  and  John  is  Jesus.  In  the  leading  points  of 
their  interpretation  of  him  there  is  no  disharmony.  That 
is  not  because  one  repeats  the  interpretation  of  the  other, 
but  because  they  both  see  the  same  great  reality.  Their 
points  of  view  are  not  exactly  the  same,  but  that  is  not 

50 


According  to  the   Gospel  of  JoJui        Introduction 

to  say  that  in  the  portrait  which  John  has  given  us  he  has 
not  been  helped  to  remember  some  of  its  features  more 
distinctly  by  the  vivid  portrayal  of  Paul.  To  this  extent 
we  believe  there  is  a  Pauline  influence  upon  the  Fourth 
Gospel.  We  have  called  attention  to  it  in  various  places 
in  the  interpretation.  It  in  no  way  detracts  from  the  value 
of  the  Gospel,  but  rather  reveals  the  influence  of  two 
witnesses  to  the  truth.  John  is  not  made  greater  by 
ignoring  Paul.  It  is  only  a  matter  for  praise,  if  Paul's 
noble  work  helped  his  successor  to  recall  more  definitely 
and  fully  the  words  which  substantiate  any  true  theology 
of  Jesus. 

3.   The  Ephesian  Environment 

By  this  is  meant  those  elements  in  the  life  and  thought 
of  the  Asian  capital  which  would  also  in  some  way  condi- 
tion the  form  of  the  presentation  of  Jesus.     The  description 
** Ephesian  environment"  is  not  fully  satisfactory,  as  it  is 
not  completely  exclusive  of  the  point  already  noted,  but  it 
will  serve  our  purpose  and  become  definite  as  we  go  on. 
To  dispose  of  a  minor  point  first,  the  situation  in  Ephesus  The  intro- 
accounts,  we  believe,  for  the  way  by  which  John  the  Baptist  john  the 
is  introduced  into  the  Gospel.     A  review  of  the  passages  the^Gospel^ 
in  which  he  appears  will  show  how  intent  the  evangelist 
is  to  distinguish  him  from  his  Master.     ''He  was  not  that 
light,  but  came  that  he  might  bear  witness  of  the  light" 
(i  :  18).     And  John  the  Baptist,  himself,  when  he  speaks, 

51 


Introduction  The  Messages  of  Jesus 

dwells  upon  his  inferiority  to  Jesus.     ' '  He  that  cometh  after 
me  is  before  me."     "He  must  increase,  but  I  must  de- 
Disciples  of  crease."     In  Acts  19  :  1-7  is  the  account  of  a  group  of  the 
in  Ephesus  disciples  of  John  the  Baptist,  whom  Paul  found  in  Ephesus. 
Whether   they   had   originally    come   from   Palestine   or 
whether  they  were,  as  another  supposes,  a  Gnostic  group, 
their  reception  into  the  Church  had  not  completely  done 
away  with  a  Baptist  party  which  was  making  claims  in- 
consistent  with   the   truth.     Carefully   the   writer  of  the 
Gospel  avoids  any  disparagement  of  John  the  Baptist,  but 
from  the  Baptist's  own  words  he  seeks  to  give  him  his 
true  place  and  win  these,  his  mistaken  adherents,  to  the 
full    service    of    Christ. 
The  specu-       A   much    more    pervasive    and   potent    influence   was 
Uy'of  ^^  *^  the  speculative  activity  in  this  centre  of  the  conflux  of 
Ephesus       religious  and  philosophic  conceptions.     The  Church  was 
now  at  least  fifty  years  away  from  the  time  of  the  Lord's 
Two  es-       death.     There  was  the  easy  possibility  of  danger  in  two 
Sang^ers  to    directions:    either  to  make   religion  a  matter  of   tradi- 
the  Church   ^j^^  ^.^^  ^^^^^  Spiritual  power,  or  try  and  get  a  certain 
permanent  value  for  the  actual  history  of  Jesus  by  sublimat- 
ing it  into  a  philosophical  allegory.*    This  latter  danger 
John  seeks    was  peculiarly  likely  to  appear  in  Ephesus.     A  permanent 
p°ermanen?  value  for  Jesus  was  Certainly  what  John  was  seeking  to 
Jesus  °^       establish,  and  at  the  same  time  he  wished  to  connect  that 
value  with  an  historical  basis.     Facts  were  not  to  be  evapo- 

1  Scott,  The  Fourth  Gospel,  p.  8. 
52 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John        Introduction 

rated  into  theories;  they  were  rather  to  reveal  the  "promise 

and  potency"  of  that  which  is  abiding.     The  gospel,  the 

glad  tidings  of  a  Saviour,  should  be  so  restated  that  its 

living  force  and  changeless  value  would  be  unmistakable. 

Nothing  seems  to  us  farther  from  the  truth  than  that  it  The  Gospel 

was  an  attempt  to  blend  Christ's  teachings  with  Greek  glomerate 

philosophy.     Every  student  of  the  more  recent  criticism  °ruth  and^ 

of  the  Gospel  knows  how  often  the  Logos  doctrine  of  the  losophy^^*" 

prologue  has  been  made  the  proof  of  just  such  an  attempt. 

One  quotation  from  a  stimulating  and  richly  suggestive 

work    will    illustrate    this.      "Through    fellowship    with 

Christ  he  (the  evangelist)  had  attained  to  a  higher  life 

and  a  new  assurance  of  God;  and  he  accepts  him  by  a  simple 

judgment  of  faith  as  his  Lord  and  Saviour.     But  he  feels 

it  necessary  to  explain  and  justify  the  convictions  that 

have  thus  been  born  in  him.     He  has  recourse  to  the 

speculative  forms  which  the  thought  of  his  time  afforded, 

and  seeks  to  express  by  means  of  them  the  purely  religious 

truths  of  Christianity.     The  result  is  that  the  genuine 

import  of  his  teaching  is  to  a  great  extent  obscured.     We 

have  constantly  to  disengage  it  from  the  alien  metaphysic 

which  appears  to  interpret,   but  most  often  warps  and 

conceals  it.  .  .  .  Jesus  revealed  the  Father  because  he 

was  identical  with  the  Logos,  the  eternal  principle  which, 

according   to   current   speculation,   was   the   medium  of 

God's  activity.     His  life,  therefore,  was  that  of  a  divine 

being,  self-determined,  omniscient,  endowed  with  super- 

53 


Introduction  TJie  Messages  of  Jesus 

natural  energies.  He  revealed  God  not  so  much  in  his 
moral  attributes  as  in  his  intrinsic  nature.  The  picture 
of  Jesus  which  passes  before  us  in  the  Gospel  is  every- 
where imbued  with  this  conception  of  him  as  Logos,  and 
loses  in  this  way  much  of  its  reahty  and  attractive  power."* 
How  blindly  the  Apostle  defeated  his  own  purpose  in  so 
setting  forth  the  Son  of  God  that  men  might  believe  and 
Three  ob-  have  life!  As  against  all  this  let  it  be  noted  (i)  that  while 
this'v?ew°  John  did  lay  hold  of  this  loftiest  existing  philosophic 
conception  of  his  time,  he  immediately  showed  that  he 
was  using  it  as  a  form  of  thought  by  giving  it  a  meaning 
which  no  philosophic  system  of  his  day  would  have  acknowl- 
edged. ''The  Logos  became  flesh."  (2)  That  the  con- 
tent of  the  term  is  in  line  with  the  development  of  Jewish 
conceptions,  rather  than  Alexandrian.  (3)  That  the 
word  is  never  used  in  the  Gospel  outside  of  the  prologue. 
Godet  has  with  force  remarked  that  ''John  does  not  come 
to  invite  his  readers  to  a  metaphysical  walk  amid  the  depths 
of  the  divine  essence,  in  order  to  discover  a  being  called 
The  Gospel  the  Logos."^  And  this  leads  to  the  further  remark  that 
give  us  the  the  Gospel  itself  is  in  no  sense  a  presentation  of  the  meta- 
ics  oTje^sus  physics  of  Jesus  or  of  redemption.  Its  theology  is  not 
an  expression  of  any  school  of  philosophy.  It  is  the 
utterance  of  a  profoundly  spiritual  nature  speaking  with 
"timeless  voice  to  the  permanent  needs  of  men."  That  it 
suggests  metaphysical  questions  and  leads  to  metaphysical 

1  Scott,  The  Fourth  Gospel,  p.  363.  ^  Com.  on  John .  vol.  i,  p.  383. 

54 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John        Introduction 

dogmas,  as  men  seek  to  penetrate  beyond  its  spiritual 
teachings  to  the  understanding  of  the  great  reaUties  set 
forth,  is  unquestionable.  That  is  a  far  different  matter 
from  saying  that  it  is  itself  a  metaphysical  or  semi-meta- 
physical treatise.  As  Dr.  Drummond  has  well  said,  "Its  Dr.  Drum- 
philosophical  terms  are  like  soft  echoes  from  some  lower  view 
world,  and  the  whole  treatment  of  them  leaves  the  impres- 
sion of  one  who  did  not  belong  to  the  schools,  but  knew 
from  the  society  around  him  the  language  and  the  difficulties 
of  the  thoughtful  men  of  his  time,  and  sought  to  answer  their 
questions  not  by  sinking  into  the  wordy  dialectics  of  a  sophist, 
but  by  taking  up  current  terms  and  transmitting  them  with 
the  fire  of  faith  which  was  more  akin  to  spiritual  imagination 
than  to  speculative  philosophy.  ,  .  .  The  unbelief  which 
is  of  earth,  and  cuts  men  off  from  God  whatever  may  be 
their  profession,  he  traces  to  the  unregenerate  heart,  the 
false  deference  to  a  dead  authority,  the  wishing  to  agree 
with  the  multitude  or  with  the  rulers  and  the  learned, 
the  seeking  glory  from  one  another  and  not  the  glory  that 
comes  from  God.  These  are  the  things  that  blind  men 
and  place  them  on  the  wrong  side  in  the  great  crises  of  his- 
tory when  individuals  and  nations  are  sifted,  and  the 
heralds  of  God  sound  an  alarm  to  a  world  buried  in  spiritual  Ephesus  ex- 
sleep."  *  Because  this  is  all  so  splendidly  true,  we  need  generai^in- 
look  only  to  the  general  situation  in  Ephesus  to  under-  JpoSThe 
stand  this  influence   upon   the  Gospel.     The  intricacies  ^"^^0^^ 

*  Character  and  Authorship  of  Fourth  Gospel,  p.  25. 

55 


Introduction  The  Messages  of  Jesus 

and  trivialities  of  varying  Gnostic  systems  are  of  little 
moment.      It  is  not  true  that  the  writer  of  the  Gospel 
carries  back  the  hostilities  of  the  latter  part  of  the  first 
century  or  of  the  early  part  of  the  second.     Why  should  he  ? 
The  oppo-    The  antagonism  to  Jesus  in  those  days,  when  the  Pharisees 
funda^men-    and  the  Sadducees  and  the  people  sought  to  seize  him  and 
Serdy^em-  finally  Succeeded,  is  traced  to  its  ultimate  reason;  and  that 
P*^'"^^  reason  could  appear  and  has  appeared  again  and  again 

with  other  names  and  in  other  lands,  for  it  is  in  the  last 
analysis  unbelief  born  of  moral  degradation,  intellectual 
pride,  or  even  spiritual  presumption.  Over  against  it 
stands  the  Messiah  of  the  Fourth  Gospel,  speaking  with 
divine  accents,  living  a  life  unspotted  and  calling  men 
everywhere  to  repent  from  sin,  to  love  God  and  accept 
eternal  Hfe.  He  talks  no  metaphysics;  he  needs  no  philos- 
ophy to  explain  him.  Through  loving  obedience  issuing 
in  spiritual-mindedness  can  he  be  known.  So  John  came 
to  know  him,  and  with  the  growth  of  the  years  and  the 
experiences  of  life,  to  see  the  deeper  eternal  meaning  of 
his  Master. 

"  Much  that  at  first,  in  deed  and  word 
Lay  simply  and  sufl&ciently  exposed, 
Had  grown  (or  else  my  soul  was  grown  to  match, 
Fed  through  such  years,  familiar  with  such  light, 
Guarded  and  guided  still  to  see  and  speak) 
Of  new  significance  and  fresh  result; 
What  first  were  guessed  as  points  I  now  knew  stars." 

S6 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  JoJm        Introduction 


IV 

THE    APOSTLE    JOHN 

Identifying,  as  we  have,  the  unnamed  and  beloved  disciple  At  first  a 
of  the  Fourth  Gospel  with  the  Apostle  John,  the  account  the  Baptist 
of  what  little  we  have  given  regarding  him  in  the  Scriptures 
begins  with  the  time  when  he  was  a  disciple  of  John  the 
Baptist.  The  trumpet  call  of  this  last  of  the  prophets  had 
brought  him  either  from  Jerusalem  or  from  the  shores  of 
Galilee,  and  he  had  given  himself  to  the  service  of  quicken- 
ing the  nation  to  repentance.  A  vein  in  John's  character 
made  him  earnestly  responsive  to  the  stern,  uncompromis- 
ing message  of  the  Baptist,  and  he  doubtless  joined  in  the 
preaching  which  should  convict  the  nation  of  its  sin. 
How  long  he  had  been  in  this  service  when  Jesus  first  He  meets 
appeared  at  the  Jordan  we  do  not  know,  but  that  memo-  the  Jordan 
rable  day  came,  and  he  heard  the  wondrous  testimony 
of  his  teacher,  "Behold  the  Lamb  of  God!"  (Jn  1:36). 
With  eager  attention  he  and  Andrew  listened  to  Jesus  as 
he  spoke  that  day;  and,  unwilling  to  miss  a  word,  they 
followed  him  as  he  moved  about  among  the  people.  Their 
deepening  interest  caught  the  eye  of  Jesus,  and  he  asked 
them  what  they  were  seeking.  Their  counter-question 
indicates  their  keen  desire  to  know  more  about  him,  and  in 
response  to  the  inquiry  as  to  where  he  was  abiding,  Jesus 
57 


Introduction  The  Messages  of  Jesus 

gave  them  an  invitation  to  go  with. him  and  see  (Jn.  1:37- 

39).     So  vividly  was  the  time  of  that  eventful  invitation 

impressed  upon  John's  mind — four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon 

He  goes  to    — that  he  never  forgot  it.     It  was  really  a  crisis  hour  in  his 

of  Jesus;  a    life  (1:39)  for  he  came  from  that  brief  visit  with  the  con- 

for^him""'^    viction  that  he  had  found  the  Messiah.     It  matters  not 

that  neither  of  the  two  who  went  to  the  abode  of  Jesus 

understood  fully  what  they  meant  by  the  word  "Messiah." 

They  knew  enough  to  bring  about  a  change  in  the  current 

John's         of  their  lives.     John's  home  was  in  GaHlee  (probably  at 

ij?"jather's  Bethsaida).     Zebedee,  his  father,  was  apparently  a  man 

business       q£  gome  property  (Mk.  1:20),  and  followed  the  business 

of  fishing  in  the  lake.     The  fisheries  of  the  sea  of  Galilee 

were  at  this  time  an  important  and  flourishing  industry. 

No  less  than  three  cities  on  the  shore  derived  their  names 

from  the   business — Tarichaea,  Bethsaida  and  Chorazin. 

At  the  time  of  the  great  feasts  in  Jerusalem  there  was  a 

large  demand  for  fish,  and  the  business  was  profitable. 

A  law  of  the  land,  supposed  to  date  from  the  time  of  Joshua, 

prevented  any  monopolization  of  the  fishing  grounds.     It 

may  have  been,  as  has  been  suggested,  that  in  connection 

with  this  business  John  was  frequently  called  to  Jerusalem, 

and  hence  was  well  known  in  the  capital.     Furthermore, 

the  fact  that  he  lived  in  Galilee  is  no  argument  against  the 

supposition  that  he  may  have  been  related  to  some  of  the 

His  mother  nobility  in  Jerusalem.     His  mother's  name  was  Salome. 

(Compare  Matt.  27:56  with  Mk.  15:40.)     On  the  next 

58 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  Jolm       Introduction 

day  after  their  memorable  visit  with  him,  Jesus  set  out  for 
Galilee,  and  his  new  disciples  accompanied  him  on  their 
way  home.    What  occurred  on  the  way  is  recorded  in 
Jn.    1:43-51.     Invited    to    attend  a  wedding   in    Cana,  Heaccom- 
to  which  his  mother  had  gone,  Jesus  arrived  with  his  jeriirto 
followers,  and  there  they  witnessed  the  beginning  of  that  ^nds^wed-' 
miraculous  activity,  which  made  peculiar  appeal  to  the  J'"^^^* 
faith  of  Jews  (Jn.  2:1-11).     The  time  was  drawing  near 
for  the  annual  feast  of  the  Passover.     Jesus  planned  to 
visit  this  feast  and  open  his  public  ministry  in  the  capital. 
At  Capernaum  they  could  easily  join  one  of  the  caravans  Goes  with 
moving    southward,    so   they   went    thither    (Jn.    2:12).  risaiemVo 
Now  for  the  first  time  Jesus  entered  the  Temple  city  in    ^^^"^^"^ 
the  full  consciousness  of  his  Messiahship,  and  John  wit- 
nessed that  startling  deed,  the  cleansing  of  the  Temple 
( Jn,  2 :  13-22) .     This  was  followed  by  a  number  of  miracles 
performed  in  the  city,  which  aroused  popular  interest  and 
curiosity.     Not  only  the  people,  but  the  rulers  were  deeply 
stirred  by  this  doer  of  wonders,  who  was  at  the  same  time 
proclaiming  the  coming  of  the  Kingdom  of  Heaven;  and 
John  was  permitted  to  hear  the  conversation  of  his  Master  Hears  con- 
with  Nicodcmus,  one  of  the  Jewish  rulers,  who  came  to  witfTiSco- 
make  inquiry  regarding  the  new  doctrine  (Jn.  3:1-15).  ^emus 
The  capital  had  not  shown  itself  ready  for  a  favoring 
reception  of  Jesus,  so  he  withdrew  into  the  country  districts 
of  Judea,  and  continued   there   the  work  of  preparation 
(Jn.  3:22).      John   the   Baptist  was   then   baptizing  at 

59 


Introduction  The  Messages  of  Jesus 

iEnon,  and  the  work  of  the    two  preachers  was  naturally 

confused,  though  Jesus  himself  did  not  baptize.     It  was 

at  this  time  that  the  dispute  arose  between  the  disciples 

of  Jesus  and  John  the  Baptist,  and  the  Baptist  bore  his 

noble  testimony  to  the  place  and  prerogatives  of  Jesus 

Is  with  him  (Jn.  3:  22-30).     Owing  to  the  suspicion  of  the  Pharisees, 

fnSa^inaHa   Jesus   left    Judca   and  returned   by  way  of  Samaria  to 

Galilee.     On  the  way  occurred  that  memorable  scene  by 

the  well  of  Samaria,  at  which  John  was  present  (Jn.  4:1-42) 

On  his  arrival  in  Galilee  Jesus  went  again  to  Cana,  and 

here  John  saw  ''the  second  sign  which  Jesus  did,  having 

come  out  of  Judea  into  Galilee,"  the  cure  of  the  nobleman's 

At  home       SOU  (Jn.  4:46-54).     John  now  returned  to  his  home  for 

shoJtt^me^    a  while,  and  engaged  in  the  business  of  fishing.     The 

imprisonment  of  John  the  Baptist  soon  again  called  him 

to  the  side  of  his  Master,  who  saw  in  the  confinement  of 

his  herald  the  sign  that  he  must  enter  at  once  vigorously 

upon  his  mission  (Mk.  1:16-20;  Matt.  4:18-22;  Lk.  5:1- 

Second         n).     With  this  call  begins  the  second  stage  of  John's 

cipfeship '^  discipleship,  and  all  we  know  of  it  is  involved  in  the  record 

calf  at  lake-  ^^  ^^  teaching  and  general  activity  of  Jesus.     It  was  all  a 

side  part  of  the  training  which  he,  with  the  other  disciples, 

was  to  have  for  the  arduous  work  later  to  be  put  upon 

Later  them  (see  Mk.  1:21;  2:22).      Later  came  the  choice  to 

apostil  and  the  apostolate,  and  his  mission  in  life  was  fully  defined 

called  ''son  {^^^    ^:i^-iq;  Matt.  10:2-4;  Lk.  6:12-19).     Mark  tells 

of  thunder"  v  o      o      y>  ~f>  y 

us  that  at  the  time  of  this  call  he  named  James  and  John 
60 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  JoJin        Introduction 

"sons  of  thunder"  (Mk.  3:17)  or,  as  the  term  is  otherwise 
interpreted,  ''sons  of  tumult,"  "angry  men" — a  descrip- 
tion which  points  to  a  trait  in  the  "beloved  disciple"  which 
is  often  overlooked.     It  comes  out  in  the  incident  in  regard 
to  the  Samaritan  village,  when  these  two  disciples  wished 
to   call   down   fire   from   heaven   upon   the   inhospitable 
Samaritans  (Lk.  9:54).     To  write  out  the  account  of  the 
Apostle's   experience   from   this   point   onward  would  be 
virtually  to  repeat  the  story  of  the  gospels.      John  was  John  now 
in  constant  attendance  upon  his  Master,  and  shared  with  attendance 
his  companion  apostles  all  the  vicissitudes  of  the  life  of  MaJle/^ 
journeying,    preaching,  and   service.     Some  incidents   in 
which  John  was  especially  favored  may  be  noted  as  showing 
the  fact  that  he  was  a  "beloved  disciple."     At  the  raising  Especial 
of  Jairus's  daughter  Jesus  took  only  Peter  and  James  and  accordldT 
John    into  the    room    of  death   (Mk.  5:37;    Lk.  8:51).    ^°^ 
These  three  were  with  him  on  the  Mount  of  Transfigura- 
tion   (Mk.  9:2;    Matt.  19:  i;   Lk.  9:28).      As   reflecting 
something  of  the  "straight"  orthodoxy  which  appears  in 
the  First  Epistle  is  the  incident  recorded  in  Mark  9:38 
and  Luke  9 :  44,  where  he  forbade  a  man  who  was  casting 
out  devils,  because  he  was  following  Jesus.     That  he  had 
not  entered  into  the  true  meaning  of  the  Messiahship  of 
Jesus  is  seen  in  his  ambitious  request  given  in  Mk.  10:37, 
Matt.  20:21.      It    was    he   who    asked    Jesus   privately 
about  the  fulfilment  of  the  great  prophecies  concerning 
Jerusalem.     There  can  be  no  mistake,  therefore,  in  that 
61 


Introduction  The  Messages  of  Jesus 

more  spiritual  understanding  of  eschatology  which  came  to 
him  after  Jerusalem  was  destroyed.  During  Passion  week 
he  was  commissioned  with  Peter  to  make  preparation  for 
the  passover  (Lk.  22:8);  he  reclined  near  Jesus  at  the 
supper,  and  asked  him  confidential  questions  (Jn.  13:23- 
25);  in  the  garden  he  was  near  his  agonized  Master 
(Mk.  14:33)  and,  though  in  the  first  moments  of  panic 
over  the  arrest  he  fled  with  the  others  (Matt.  26:56), 
he  soon  recovered  himself,  and  followed  the  procession  to 
the  palace  of  the  high-priest  (Jn.  18 :  15).  His  relationship 
to  Jerusalem  gave  him  the  privilege  of  entrance,  and  from 
him  we  learn  much  of  the  inner  progress  of  the  whole 
travesty  upon  justice  in  the  various  court  scenes.  His 
fearless  love  took  him  to  Calvary,  and  there  he  received 
from  the  dying  lips  of  Jesus  the  command  to  care  for 
Mary  (Jn.  19:26,  27).  From  Mary  Magdalene  he  hears 
of  the  resurrection,  and  he  hastens  with  Peter  to  the  grave 
(Jn.  20:2,  3).  Once  more  we  hear  of  him  in  connection 
with  the  appearance  of  the  risen  Lord  in  Galilee  (Jn. 
21 : 2-7).  and  there  the  record  of  him  as  far  as  the  Gospels 
The  Gospel  are  Concerned  comes  to  an  end.  It  is  withal  a  meagre 
hhn°bSt  °  account,  but  in  what  it  suggests  it  is  pregnant  with  a  won- 
meagre  (Jerful  experience.  The  numerous  touches  in  the  Fourth 
Gospel,  which  argue  an  eye-witness  of  its  scenes,  accord 
with  this  record  of  intimacy  with  Jesus. 
His  later  The  later  history  of  the  Apostle  can  be  known  only 

istory         {yqxo.  a  very  few  references.     In  the  Acts  we  hear  of  him 

62 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John        Introduction 

in  connection  with  a  miracle  wrought  at  the  Beautiful 
Gate  of  the  Temple,  as  he  and  Peter  were  going  up  thither 
at  the  hour  of  prayer  (Acts  3:4).  The  excitement  over 
the  event  caused  his  arrest  and  appearance  before  the 
Sanhedrin.  Later  he  and  Peter  were  sent  to  Samaria  to  Goes  to 
further  the  work  of  Philip  (8:14,  15),  and  Paul  speaks  ^"^"^* 
of  him  as  being  in  Jerusalem  about  a.d.  50  (Gal.  2:1,  9). 
At  that  time  he  was  recognized  as  one  of  the  pillars  of  the 
Church  (Gal.  2:9). 

From  this  time  on  our  knowledge  of  him  is  gained  Further 
entirely  from  the  traditions  of  the  Church.     According  only  from 
to  this  source  he  is  said  to  have  remained  in  Jerusalem 
until  the  death  of  Mary,  in  a.d.  48.     The  time  of  his  Uncertain 
departure    from    Jerusalem    is    entirely    uncertain.     He  left^jerusa- 
probably  left  the  city,  as  did  all  the  other  Christians,  before  E^hesu?  ^° 
its  destruction  in  a.d.   70.     We  have  already  seen  why 
he  would  be  attracted  to  Ephesus,  where  tradition  declares 
that  he  spent  the  later  years  of  his  life.     The  importance 
of  the  city  and  the  needs  of  the  Church  made  earnest 
appeals  for  help.     As,  however,  the  Ephesian  residence  Ephesian 
of  John  is  vigorously  disputed,  it  is  in  order  here  to  review  deputed 
the  evidence  and  see  whether  we  are  justified  in  accepting 
the  generally  received  conclusion.     Irenaeus,   Polycrates,  Three  main 
Bishop  of  Ephesus,  and  Clement  of  Alexandria  are  the  f^r  it^ 
main  witnesses  for  the  common  tradition.     The  first  is  irenaeus 
very  explicit,  telHng  us  that  John,  the  disciple  of  the  Lord, 
who  also  lay  on  his  breast,  likewise  published  the  Gospel, 

63 


Introduction 


The  Messages  of  Jesus 


Considera- 
tions urged 
against 
Ephesian 
residence 


Ignatius 


Value  of 
the  argu- 
ment from 
silence 


while  dwelling  at  Ephesus.^  ''The  Church  at  Ephesus 
founded  by  Paul,  and  with  which  John  lived  till  Trajan's 
time  (98-117  A.D.),  is  a  truthful  witness  to  the  traditions 
of  the  apostles."^ 

We  have  already  noted  (chap,  i,  pp.  15-17)  the  close  re- 
lationship in  life  and  experience  of  Irenaeus,  Polycarp,  and 
John .  Their  united  lives  bridge  over  a  whole  century  of  per- 
sonal associations  and  reverent  memories  and  the  witness 
which  they  bear  to  John's  residence  in  Ephesus  seems  well- 
nigh  conclusive.  Two  considerations,  however,  have  been 
urged  against  it.  These  are  (i)  the  silence  among  older 
writers  regarding  the  Ephesian  residence  and  (2)  the  pos- 
sible confusion  on  the  part  of  Irenaeus  of  John  the  Apostle 
with  John  the  Presbyter.  By  "older  writers"  are  meant  Poly- 
carp and  Ignatius.  There  is  no  sufficient  reason  why  Poly- 
carp in  his  letter  to  the  Philippians  should  mention  John,  but 
it  does  at  first  sight  seem  strange  that  Ignatius  in  his  Epistle 
to  the  Ephesians  should  have  no  reference  to  him.  His 
mention  of  Paul  is  called  out  by  the  fact  that  just  as  the 
Apostle  had  received  the  elders  at  Miletus  on  his  way  to 
imprisonment  in  Rome,  so  he  received  at  Smyrna  a  delega- 
tion from  Ephesus.  3  The  argument  from  silence  is  by 
no  means  conclusive,  seeing  that  even  Paul  is  mentioned 
only  by  reason  of  especial  circumstances.  Furthermore,  in 
the  immediately  preceding  chapter  he  asks  their  prayers, 
''that  he  may  be  found  in  the  lot  of  the  Christians  of 

1  Contra  Haer.,  iii,  i,  i.  ^  ihid.,  iii,  3,  4.  3  Epis.  to  Ephes.,  §  12. 

64 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John        Introduction 

Ephesus  who  have  always  been  of  the  same  mind  with 
the  apostles,  through  the  power  of  Jesus  Christ."  In 
connection  with  other  evidence,  there  is  certainly  more 
reason  to  include  John  here  among  the  apostles  than 
to  leave  him  out.  "When  one  takes  into  account  the 
scantiness  of  the  literary  remains  of  this  early  period, 
the  probable  growth  of  John's  reputation  during  the  second 
century  and  the  prevalence  in  the  Ignatian  epistles  them- 
selves of  a  Johannine  type  of  teaching  ^  the  argument  from 
silence  loses  much  of  its  force."  ^ 

In  writing  of  the  external  evidence  (see  previous 
chapter)  attention  was  called  to  the  extreme  unlikelihood 
of  the  confusion  of  John  the  Apostle  with  John  the  Presby- 
ter. We  must  now  give  attention  to  the  statement  of  The  wit- 
Eusebius,'  that  Papias  has  not  declared  that  he  himself  plpias 
was  hearer  and  eye-witness  of  the  holy  apostles.  The 
testimony  of  Papias  is:  "But  I  shall  not  hesitate  also  to 
put  down  for  you  along  with  my  interpretations  whatsoever 
things  I  have  at  any  time  learned  carefully  from  the  eld- 
ers and  carefully  remembered,  guaranteeing  their  truth. 
For  I  did  not,  Hke  the  multitude,  take  pleasure  in  those 
that  speak  much,  but  in  those  that  teach  the  truth;  not 
in  those  that  relate  strange  commandments,  but  in  those 
that  deliver  the  commandments  given  by  the  Lord  to  faith 

1  Sep  Von  der  Goltz's  Ignatius  von  Antiochien  als  Christ  und  Theologe 
in  Texte  und  Unlersuchungen,  Band  XII. 

2  "  John  the  Apostle  "  in  Did,  of  Christ  and  the  A  pasties  (Riggs). 

3  H.  E.,  iii,  39. 

6S 


Introduction 


The  Messages  of  Jesus 


Points  in 
this  witness 
requiring 
examination 

There  are 
two  Johns 

Drum- 
mond's  ex- 
planation 
of  the 
change  of 
tenses 


and  springing  from  the  truth  itself.  If  then  any  one  came 
who  had  been  a  follower  of  the  elders  I  questioned  him 
in  regard  to  the  words  of  the  elders — what  Andrew  or 
what  Peter  said,  or  what  was  said  by  PhiHp,  or  by  Thomas, 
or  by  James,  or  by  John,  or  by  Matthew,  or  by  any  other 
of  the  disciples  of  the  Lord,  and  what  things  Aristion  and 
the  Presbyter  John,  the  disciples  of  the  Lord,  say.  For 
I  did  not  think  that  what  was  to  be  gathered  from  the  books 
would  profit  me  as  much  as  what  came  from  the  living 
and  abiding  voice."  ^ 

Two  points  in  this  witness  require  exam ination :  ( i )  The 
distinction  between  the  Apostle  John  and  the  Presbyter 
John.  (2)  The  distinction  in  the  tenses  of  the  verb, 
"said,"  ''say."  In  regard  to  the  first,  there  seems  to  be 
httle  doubt  that  the  reference  is  to  two  distinct  persons. 
In  regard  to  the  second,  the  explanation  given  by  Drum- 
mond  seems  most  satisfactory. ^  In  his  search  for  enlight- 
enment Papias  inquired  after  the  unwritten  sayings  of  all 
referred  to,  except  Aristion  and  John  the  Presbyter.  In 
their  case  he  was  getting  information  from  ^^ hooks P  The 
**what  they  say,"  refers  to  the  time  of  writing,  not  to  the 
time  of  inquiry,  and  ''the  books"  to  words  written  by 
some  other  authors,  but  entitled  perhaps,  "Narratives 
of  Aristion,"  "Traditions  of  the  Presbyter  John."  These 
books,   being  anonymous,  needed  confirmation  by  com- 

1 H.  E.,  iii,  39. 

2  Character  and  Authorship  of  the  Fourth  Gospel,  pp.  199-204. 

66 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John        Introduction 

petent  witnesses.  Hence,  what  Papias  would  say  is  that 
he  gained  what  information  he  could  from  the  unwritten 
sayings  of  the  Apostles  and  from  the  written  sayings  of 
Aristion  and  the  Presbyter.  *'  No  matter  what  the  Apostles 
had  written,  any  authentic  additions  to  their  teachings 
would  be  welcome.  But  if  these  were  books  professing 
to  contain  sayings  of  Aristion  and  John  the  Presbyter, 
Papias  might  well  allege  as  a  reason  for  inquiring  into 
those  sayings  that  he  did  not  feel  as  much  confidence  in 
the  books  as  in  the  oral  reports."  ^  If  this  interpretation 
be  correct,  then  Papias  was  not  a  hearer  of  even  the  Pres- 
byter John,  as  far  as  this  piece  of  evidence  goes.  Irenaeus 
got  his  information  about  Papias's  hearing  the  Apostle 
from  other  sources  and  Eusebius.  Inasmuch  as  he  ad- 
duces no  more  explicit  statement  than  the  above,  it  cannot 
prove  a  confusion  of  persons.  Certainly  the  passage 
does  not  require  us  to  think  that  the  Presbyter  John  was 
in  Ephesus  at  all.  Dionysius  of  Alexandria  is  the  author-  Dionysius 
ity  for  this  last  fact.  He  is  arguing  for  the  authorship  dria  dted 
of  the  Apocalypse  by  some  other  John  than  the  Apostle,  johnl*in 
and  cites  the  tradition  that  "there  are  two  monuments  in  "^^^^ 
Ephesus,  each  bearing  the  name  of  John."^ 

It  has  been  well  said  "that  the  existence  of  two  me-  Value  of  the 
morials   in  Ephesus   such  as  Dionysius,   Eusebius,   and   ^^  '™°^y 
Jerome  refer  to,  by  no   means  proves   that  more   than 
one  John  was  buried  there."     Over  against  all  this,  we 

1  Drummond,  ibid.,  p.  201.  2  gys.  H..  E.,  vii,  25. 

67 


Introduction  The  Messages  of  Jesus 

must  once  more  emphasize  the  position  and  relationship 
of  Irenaeus. 
How  the  In  much  the  same  way  an  attempt  is  made  to  weaken  the 

Poly  crates    witness  of  Polycrates  by  showing  from  his  alleged  con- 
is  attacked    £^3Jqj^  q£  ^jjg  Apostle  and  the  evangelist  PhiHp  the  like 
possibility  in  regard  to  the  Apostle  and  the  Presbyter. 
Even  if  it  were  indisputable  that  the  two  Philips  had  been 
confused,  the  fact  would  constitute  no  valid  argument  for  a 
confusion  of  the  two  Johns.     Each  must  be  examined  on 
its  own  grounds.     And  it  is  by  no  means  sure  that  Poly- 
crates  has   made   a   mistake   in   regard   to   Phihp.     Dr. 
Drummond,  after  an  examination  of  the  argument,  con- 
cludes that  Polycrates  is  correct.     We  are,  however,  con- 
Theposi-     cemed  with  his  testimony  to  John.     And  first,  we  must 
PofyCTates    Call  attention  to  the  position  of  Polycrates.     He  was  Bishop 
the^^u'st"'^  of  Ephesus,  and  when  he  wrote  his  letter  to  Victor,  Bishop 
worthiness    of  Rome,  was  old  enough  to  have  been  Hving  at  the  time 

of  his  °  .       .  .  . 

knowledge  of  Polycarp.  Here  agam  we  have  contmuity  of  experiences 
adding  its  support  to  testimony.  He  tells  us  that  John, 
who  was  both  a  witness  and  a  teacher,  who  reclined  upon 
the  bosom  of  the  Lord,  being  a  priest  wore  the  sacerdotal 
plate.  He  fell  asleep  at  Ephesus.^  The  description 
**who  reclined  upon  the  bosom  of  the  Lord"  points  directly 
to  the  Apostle.  What  is  said  regarding  the  sacerdotal 
plate  is  Hkewise  said  of  James,  ^  the  Lord's  brother,  and  is 
probably  nothing  more  than  a  figurative  expression  for 

*  Eus.  H.  £.,  iii,  31;  v,  24.  ^  Epiphanixis,  Haer.y  Ixxvii,  14. 

68 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John        Introduction 

the  exalted  position  which  these  men  held  among  their 
Christian  brethren.  In  Poly  crates,  a  contemporary  of 
Irenaeus,  we  have  an  independent  witness. 

As  introductory  to  the  witness  of  Clement  of  Alexandria,  Clement  of 
it  is  well  to  note  what  he  says  in  reference  to  his  "Mis- 
cellanies" :  "This  work  is  not  a  writing  artfully  constructed 
for  display;  but  my  notes  are  stored  up  for  old  age  as  a  » 

remedy  against  forgetfulness."     He  tells  us  the  order  and  His  refer- 
nationality  of  his  teachers,  that  we  may  know  that  "these  f^"of°radi- 
men  preserved  the  tradition  of  doctrine  directly  from  the  from*^Pe^ter^ 
holy  Apostles,  Peter,  James,  John,  and  Paul,  son  receiving  joJ^^^and 
it  from  father — though  few  were  like  their  fathers — until  P^^i 
by  God's  will  the  seeds  of  truth  from  ancestors  and  Apostles 
came  to  them."  ^     It  is  in  his  story  of  John  and  the  young 
disciple  who  became  a  robber  that   Clement   bears   his 
witness  to   John's  residence   in   Ephesus,  ^   and   because 
Clement  seems  to  offer  a  distinct  line  of  tradition,  his 
witness   is  an  independent  confirmation  of   Irenaeus  and 
Polycrates.^ 

It  is  upon  this  body  of  testimony  that  the  Ephesian 
residence  of  John  has  been  thought  to  rest  securely.  It 
seems  clear,  adequate,  and  satisfactory. 

We  can  only  imagine  the  life  of  the  aging  Apostle  as  he 
talked  and  worked  in  this  busy  centre  of  Graico-Oriental 
life.     The  needs  of  the  work  were  such  as  to  demand  his 

"^  Stromaiat'XyX.  ^  j;us.  ^.  £.,  iii,  23. 

3  See  Drummond,  Character  and  Authorship,  p.  213. 

69 


Introduction  The  Messages  of  Jesus 

fullest  energies,  and  the  Gospel  is  our  evidence  for  the 
exalted  character  of  his  teaching. 
John's  exile      No  sketch  of  the  Apostle's  Hfe  were  complete  without 
in    a  mos     ^^^^^  reference  to  his  alleged  banishment  to  the  island  of 
Patmos.     The  statement  in  Revelation  i :  9  is  probably 
Weiss'sand  the  basis  for  the  tradition  of  his  exile.     Weiss  supposes 
fiews^^'^     that  he  went  thither  to  find  a  rehgious  retreat;  Ramsay^ 
thinks  that  his  banishment  was  attended  with  great  hard- 
ship and  suffering.     Certainly  the  tradition  that  he  was  an 
exile  on  this  lonely  island  is  widely  attested.     Clement  of 
Alexandria,    TertulHan,    Origen,   Eusebius,    Epiphanius, 
Jerome,  all  speak  of  it.     Whether  the  experience  was  bitter 
or  not,  he  came  back  to  Ephesus  to  end  his  long  and  blessed 
life.     At  least,  such  has  been  the  generally  accepted  faith 
View  that     of  the  Church.     That  belief,  however,  has  of  late  been 
slain  byThe  questioned,  owing  to  the  witness  of  two  authorities  ^  to 
^^^^  the  statement  of  Papias  that  John  was  put  to  death  by  the 

Jews.  Sanday  ^  places  the  death  of  the  Apostle  among 
the  unsolved  problems  connected  with  the  Gospel.  It  is 
strange,  if  John  died  a  violent  death  at  the  time  of  his 
brother,  that  Eusebius  ignores  the  fact.  Perhaps  the  most 
plausible  explanation  of  the  matter  is  that  a  mistaken 
interpretation  of  fxapTvpoiv  which  in  its  earlier  sense  did 

*  Letters  to  the  Seven  Churches,  p.  85. 

2  The  Chrmicle  of  Georgius  Hamartolos  (ninth  century)  and  the  DeBoor 
Fragment. 

3  Criticism  of  the  Fourth  Gospel,  p.  251. 

70 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John        Introduction 

not  mean  death,  supported  the  desire  to  find  a  fulfilment 
of  Mark  lo:  38-39. 

Brief  as  this  outhne  is,  yet  with  the  help  of  the  Gospel  John's 
and  the  First  Epistle,  we  may  get  a  fairly  just  estimate 
of  the  great  Apostle's  character.  One's  first  thought  of 
him  is  that  he  was  quiet,  meditative,  of  a  reflective  type  of 
character.  All  this  he  undoubtedly  was,  but  there  was 
another  side.  He  could  flash  up  in  a  moment,  and  we  see 
him  at  times  when  he  is  intolerant.  Certainly  he  was 
ambitious.  He  could  love  passionately,  and  hate  in- 
tensely. Fortunately  the  discipline  of  truth  turned  his 
hatred  toward  that  which  was  untrue  and  unrighteous. 
The  sharp,  straight  sentences  of  the  First  Epistle  tell  us 
how  he  felt  toward  the  wickedness  of  the  world.  The 
emphasis  which  both  the  Epistle  and  the  Gospel  put  upon 
the  love  of  God  revealed  in  his  Master,  tell  us  how  deeply 
he  felt  the  mercy  of  redemption.  Tender,  strong,  coura- 
geous, uncompromising,  such  was  he  who  while  a  "son 
of  tumult"  was  yet  "the  beloved  disciple." 


71 


THE  PROLOGUE:    THE    BEGINNINGS    OF 
THE  HISTORY 

IN  THESE  BEGINNINGS  WE  HAVE  SET  BEFORE  US  THE 
SPIRITUAL  FORCES  WHICH  WORK  ON  THROUGH 
THE  GOSPEL,  BRINGING  OUT,  EACH  IN  ITS  OWN 
WAY,    THE   REVELATION    OF   THE   MESSIAH 


THE  PROLOGUE 

THE   BEGINNINGS    OF   THE   HISTORY 
I 

Its  Representative  Character 

The  first  eighteen  verses  of  the  Gospel  constitute  Purpose  of 
an  introduction,  or,  as  it  is  usually  called,  a  prologue.  iogue^° 
This  prologue  sets  forth  the  realities  which  underlie  and 
condition  the  history  given  us  in  the  Gospel  itself.  It 
presents  to  us  the  central  figure  of  the  succeeding  drama 
in  his  relations  both  to  God  and  to  men  and  the  attitude 
of  men  toward  him.  It  gives  us  the  motifs,  to  use  a 
musical  phrase,  of  all  the  interplay  of  forces  evident  in  the 
scenes  of  the  history.  For  this  reason  the  prologue  is  a 
summary  as  well  as  an  introduction.  A  study  of  the 
Gospel  will  show  that  the  first  eighteen  verses  do  but 
gather  up  into  compact  form  all  that  has  been  learned. 
Their  pithy  sentences  are  the  outcome  of  the  author's 
reflection  upon  all  he  has  seen  and  heard  in  Galilee  and 
Jerusalem.  Hence,  the  prologue  may  be  called  the  Gospelin 
Gospel  in  miniature.     The  chapters  containing  inci- 

.75 


The  Prologue  The  Messages  of  Jesus 

dent  and  discourse  are  simply  an  analysis  or  illustration 
of  its  comprehensive  statements.  It  is  true  that  the  epi- 
thet "the  Word"  does  not  occur  outside  of  these  intro- 
ductory verses,  but  each  chapter  contributes  its  share 
toward  the  make-up  of  this  pecuhar  and  pregnant  de- 
scription of  the  Messiah.  They  that  were  "his  own 
received  him  not."  How  complete  a  summary  that  is  of 
the  sleepless  espionage  of  the  ecclesiastical  authorities,  the 
wilful  misinterpretations  of  the  Pharisees,  the  sharply 
chilled  enthusiasms  of  the  people,  and  the  final  cruel 
injustice  of  Calvary  itself!  And  what  are  miracle  and 
teaching  and  sinless  conduct  but  means  toward  helping 
us  see  "the  glory  as  of  the  only  begotten  from  the  Father, 
Parallels  full  of  grace  and  truth".?  That  this  close  interrelation 
proiog?e  between  introduction  and  Gospel  may  be  more  evident 
and  Gospel  ^^^^  ^^^  following  parallels: 

In    the    beginning   was  Before  Abraham  was,  I 

the  Word  and  the  Word      am  (8:58). 
was  with  God.  Glorify    thou    me  with 

thine   own   self   with   the 
glory   which   I   had   with 
thee  before  the  world  was 
(17:5). 
And  the  Word  was  God.  This  made  the  Jews  all 

the  more  eager  to  kill  him, 
because  not  only  was  he 


76 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John      The  Prologue 


All  things  were  made 
through  him,  and  without 
him  was  nothing  made 
which  has  come  to  be. 

In  him  was  life. 


And  the  life  was  the 
light  of  men. 

And  the  light  shineth 
in  the  darkness,  and  the 
darkness  apprehended  it 
not. 


There  came  a  man,  sent 
from  God,  whose  name 
was  John.  The  same 
came  for  a  witness  that  he 


doing  away  with  the  Sab- 
bath, but  he  actually  called 
God  his  own  Father,  put- 
ting himself  on  an  equality 
with  God  (5:18;  10:32). 

Thou  art  my  Lord  and 
my  God  (20:  28). 

My  Father  has  gone  on 
working  to  the  present  mo- 
ment, I  go  on  working  too 
(3:17). 

I  came  that  they  may 
have  life,  and  have  it  abun- 
dantly (John  10 :  10 ;  5 :  21 ; 
11:25,  26). 

I  am  the  light  of  the 
world  (9:5). 

And  this  is  the  judgment, 
that  the  light  is  come  into 
the  world  and  men  loved 
the  darkness  rather  than 
the  light,  for  their  works 
were  evil  (3:19;  12:46). 

And  I  have  seen  and 
have  borne  witness  that 
this  is  the  son  of  God 
(1:34). 


77 


The  Prologue 


TJie  Messages  of  Jesus 


might  bear  witness  of  the 
Hght,  that  all  might  be- 
lieve through  him. 

He  was  not  the  hght, 
but  came  that  he  might 
bear  witness  of  the  Hght. 


There  was  the  true  light, 
even  the  light  which  light- 
eth  every  man  coming  into 
the  world. 

He  was  in  the  world  and 
the  world  was  made  by 
him,  and  the  world  knew 
him  not. 

He  came  to  his  own,  and 
they  that  were  his  own  re- 
ceived him  not. 


And  he  confessed,  I  am 
not  the  Christ  (1:20). 

Ye  yourselves  bear  me 
witness  that  I  said  I  am 
not  the  Christ,  but  that  I 
am  sent  before  him  (3 :  28). 

He  that  followeth  me 
shall  not  walk  in  darkness, 
but  shall  have  the  light  of 
life  (8:  12). 

The  world  cannot  hate 
you;  but  me  it  hateth,  be- 
cause I  testify  of  it  that  its 
works  are  evil  (7 :  7;  15: 18; 
16:9). 

I  know  that  ye  are  Abra- 
ham's seed;  yet  ye  seek  to 
kill  me  because  my  word 
hath  not  free  course  in  you 
(8:37). 

From  that  day  forth  they 
took  counsel  that  they 
might  put  him  to  death 
(11:53). 


78 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John       The  Prologue 


But  as  many  as  received 
him,  to  them  gave  he  the 
right  to  become  children  of 
God,  even  to  them  that  be- 
lieve on  his  name:  which 
were  born  not  of  blood  nor 
of  the  will  of  the  flesh,  nor 
of  the  will  of  man,  but  of 
God. 

And  the  Word  became 
flesh,  and  dwelt  among  us. 


And  we  beheld  his  glory, 
glory  as  of  the  only  begot- 
ten from  the  Father,  full 
of  grace  and  truth. 


See  also  7: 1,  5,  12,  20; 
15:25. 

Except  a  man  be  born  of 
water  and  the  Spirit,  he 
cannot  enter  into  the  King- 
dom of  God  (3:5). 

See  6:  65:  14:  6. 


I  came  out  from  the 
Father  and  am  come  into 
the  world  (16:28). 

For  the  words  which 
thou  gavest  me  I  have 
given  unto  them,  and  they 
received  them  and  knew  of 
a  truth  that  I  came  forth 
from  thee,  and  they  be- 
heved  that  thou  didst  send 
me  (17:  8). 

And  we  have  believed 
and  know  that  thou  art  the 
Holy  One  of  God  (6:  69). 

I  glorified  thee  in  the 
earth,      having      accom- 


79 


The  Prologue 


The  Messages  of  Jesus 


John  beareth  witness  of 
him  and  crieth,  saying: 
This  was  he  of  whom  I 
said,  He  that  cometh  after 
me  is  become  before  me; 
for  he  was  before  me. 

For  of  his  fulness  we  all 
received,  and  grace  for 
grace. 

For  the  law  was  given 
by  Moses ;  grace  and  truth 
came  by  Jesus  Christ. 


No  man  hath  seen  God 
at  any  time;  the  only  be- 
gotten Son  which  is  in  the 
bosom  of  the  Father,  he 
hath  declared  him. 


plished  the  work  which 
thou  gavest  me  to  do 
(17:4). 

Behold  the  Lamb  of  God 
which  taketh  away  the  sin 
of  the  world!  This  is  he 
of  whom  I  said,  After  me 
cometh  a  man  which  is  be- 
fore me,  for  he  was  before 
me  (1:29,  30). 

He  that  cometh  to  me 
shall  not  hunger;  and  he 
that  believeth  on  me  shall 
never  thirst  (6 :  3o) . 

I  am  the  way  and  the 
truth  and  the  life  (14:6). 

To  this  end  am  I  come 
into  the  world,  that  I 
should  bear  witness  unto 
the  truth  (18:37). 

He  that  hath  seen  me 
hathseentheFather(14:9). 

The  Father  that  sent  me, 
he  hath  given  me  a  com- 
mandment, what  I  should 
say  and  what  I  should 
speak  (12:  49). 


8o 


According  to  the   Gospel  of  John      The  Prologue 

This  parallelism  makes  several  facts  evident:     (1)  Prologue 

,_,,  ,,  .  i,--iii'         not  a  specu- 

That  the  prologue  is  not  a  mere  speculative  introduction  ktive  intro- 
to  the  Gospel.  Its  purpose  is  in  no  sense  metaphysical. 
Every  sentence  is  linked  with  practical  issues.  No 
statement  transcends  the  teaching  of  Jesus  himself. 
Each,  rather,  is  framed  from  a  clear  conception  of  the 
import  of  the  Master's  own  utterances  or  from  a  pro- 
found understanding  of  the  issues  which  in  history  at- 
tended the  supreme  revelation  of  the  Son.  The  time 
has  gone  by  when  John's  Gospel  can  be  justly  called 
a  philosophic  or  theological  romance.  The  reality  of 
history  is  in  it,  and  the  prologue  is,  in  its  general  state- 
ments, a  clear,  faithful  reflection  of  that  reality.  With- 
out the  words,  deeds,  and  sufferings  of  Jesus  it  never 
could  have  been  written.  The  Jewish  speculative  phi- 
losophy of  Alexandria  would  have  repudiated  it,  for  the 
simple  reason  that  it  could  not  follow  "the  Word"  here 
spoken  of  along  the  paths  of  incarnate  being  and  suffer- 
ing. Of  course  it  may  be  said  that  the  very  point  at 
issue  is  here  assumed,  namely,  that  the  facts  of  the  Gos- 
pel are  fads,  and  that  the  discourses  are  genuine  and  not 
"variations  of  the  speculative  theme  placed  at  the  be- 
ginning of  the  book."  Both  of  these  positive  positions 
must  have  attention  and  confirmation,  as  we  go  on 
through  the  interpretation  of  the  Gospel.  It  is  suffi- 
cient now  to  say  that  the  facts  of  the  narrative  have 
every  mark  of  historicity,  and  the  discourses,  whatever 
8i 


The  Prologue  The  Messages  of  Jesus 

may  be  their  relation  to  Jesus  or  to  John,  are  certainly 
not  speculative  constructions  in  support  of  a  Logos 
theorem . 
Prologue  (2)  That  the  three  leading  ideas  of  the  prologue  are 

of  th?Ms^-     the  substance  respectively  of  the  three  facts  developed 
^°'^^  simultaneously  in  the  history.     These  three  facts  are: 

The  Messiahship  of  Jesus,  the  bhnd  and  pitiful  rejection 
of  him  by  the  Jews,  and  the  response  made  to  him  in 
faith  by  those  whose  spiritual  desires  or  whose  sense  of 
need  caused  them  to  listen  to  his  gracious  message.  As 
the  story  unfolds  we  come  to  see  even  more  clearly  how 
fully  Jesus  has  interpreted  to  us  the  holiness  and  love  of 
God,  and  by  this  very  interpretation  shown  himself  to 
be  the  Messiah.  We  also  can  watch  the  deepening  an- 
tagonism of  the  capital,  and  note  as  well  the  answer  to 
his  call  of  those  who  "knew  his  voice." 


II 

THE   PROLOGUE    (l :  I-18) 

Relation  of       He  who  has  been  to  us  the  Revealer  of  God  has  existed 

to  God  and  from  all  eternity  in  communion  with  God,  and  is  him- 

creat^ion       ^^^  essentially  divine.     He  is  so  identified  with  God  in 

reference  to  creation  that  it  is  possible  to  say  that  all  things 

without  exception  came  into  being  through  his  cooperation. 

Creation  itself  has  the  stamp  of  the  Messiah  upon  it. 

82 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John      The  Prologue 

Not  one  thing  apart  from  his  presence  ever  came  into  being. 
All  animate  things  get  life  from  him,  and  to  such  beings  as 
possess  rational  intelligence,  that  is,  to  men,  the  life  that 
was  in  him  became  light  or  truth  which  is  the  life  of  the  soul. 
Even  now  this  truth,  as  light,  is  shining  for  the  blessing  of  To  men 
men,  but  they  have  been  unwilling  to  receive  it.  They  have  believe^  °° 
preferred  the  darkness  of  selfishness.  Mark  how  they  ^^""^ 
have  done  it.  John  the  Baptist,  sent  from  God,  and  the 
last  of  a  long  line  of  prophets  who  in  their  time  bore  witness 
to  this  "light  of  life,"  suffered  the  fate  of  those  prophets. 
He  came  to  bear  specific  witness  to  this  light-truth  as  em- 
bodied in  Jesus.  Although  he  was  himself  a  "burning 
and  shining  lamp,"  he  was  but  a  lamp,  not  the  true  light, ^ 
and  the  single,  great  purpose  of  all  his  activity  was  that 
men,  irrespective  of  class  or  condition,  might  receive  the 
truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus.  From  his  prophetic  warnings  and 
heart-searching  appeals  men  turned  contemptuously  away. 
The  "darkness"  did  not  apprehend  the  "light."  Just 
what  happened  in  Israel  took  place  in  the  world  at  large. 
This  light  of  life — the  essential,  archetypal  light,  which 

^  It  is  not  unlikely  that  the  careful  distinction  made  between  the  Baptist 
and  Christ  may  have  been  called  out  by  assertions  of  a  Baptist  party  existing 
at  Ephesus  at  the  time  of  John's  teaching  (see  Acts  i8:  25;  19:  3,  4).  ,  In  the 
Clementine  Recognition  (perhaps  from  first  half  of  third  century)  it  is  said 
that  "some  of  the  disciples  of  John,  who  seemed  to  be  great  ones,  have  sepa- 
rated themselves  and  proclaimed  their  own  master  as  the  Christ"  (i:  54).  It 
will  be  noted  that  while  holding  dear  the  superiority  of  Jesus  to  John,  the 
Gospel  gives  full  recognition  to  the  exalted  position  of  the  Baptist. 

83 


The  Prologue  The  Messages  of  Jesus 

shines  in  every  man's  soul  in  the  illumination  of  conscience, 
has  been  ever  coming  into  the  world  in  those  experiences 
which  are  meant  to  teach  men  the  moral  significance  of 
life — in  a  sense  of  need  or  of  guilt,  in  mercies  or  judgments. 
Yes,  from  the  beginning  this  light  has  been  in  the  world 
shining  through  all  its  ordered  glory,  and  yet  the  world  has, 
with  all  its  intellectual  keenness  and  philosophic  insight, 
not  seen  it.  Heathen  worship  and  philosophy  have  been 
as  darkness,  which  darkness  did  not  apprehend  the  light. 
And  when  at  last  in  personal,  human  revelation,  he  came 
to  his  own  peculiar  possession — the  people  of  Israel — what 
did  they  do  but  reject  him! 
To  those  Were  this  all  that  could  be  said,  the  world  were  dark 

(12-16)  indeed,  but  the  issue  has  not  been  wholly  calamitous,  the 
witness  has  not  been  altogether  fruitless.  While  the  nation 
as  a  whole  refused  to  receive  the  Christ,  as  many  as  did 
receive  him  by  faith  had  given  to  them  the  right  of  becoming 
God's  children — a  relationship  which  springs  neither  from 
human  parenthood  nor  hereditary  privilege,  but  solely 
and  wholly  from  the  regenerating  power  of  God  himself. 
And  the  reason  of  this  glorious  outcome  of  faith  in  him  is 
that  he  who  had  revealed  God  in  various  ways  in  the 
world's  history  became  man,  conjoining  the  divine  and 
human  in  one  personality;  and  as  the  Shekinah  dwelt 
within  the  Tabernacle  of  old,  so  he  tabernacled  here  on 
earth.  Then  we  looked  upon  his  glory,  and  it  was  as  the 
glory  of  an  only  son  who  has  come  from  a  father — ab- 
84 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John      The  Prologue 

solutely  without  parallel  in  its  perfect  revelation  to  us  of  the 
character  of  God.     In  him  we  saw  a  complete  embodiment 
of  redeeming  love  and  saving  truth.     Even  yet  is  echoing 
the  witness  of  John  the  Baptist,  who  said,  **He  who  cometh 
after  me  has  come  to  be  my  Master,  for  the  very  reason  that 
from  the  beginning  he  was  more  exalted  than  I,  being  the 
Son  of  God."     And  we  have  no  better  proof  that  all  the 
fulness  of  divine  love  and  reality  was  in  him  than  this,  that 
we  have  all  received  out  of  this  fulness  blessing  after  bless- 
ing in  ever-enlarging  measure.     Is  not  this  same  fulness  Contrast 
made  evident  also  in  the  contrast  between  that  for  which  Moses  or 
the  names  of  Moses  and  Jesus  Christ  stand?    The  Law,  ^nd  ChTist 
that  divine  bestowment  which  sets  forth  ideals  of  righteous-  pg/J J^^^^^' 
ness,    demands   obedience,    and   threatens    penalty,    was 
given  through  Moses,  but  in  the  very  coming  of  Jesus 
Christ  came  the  revelation  of  the  way  to  attain  to  righteous- 
ness, the  inspiration  and  power  to  make  the  law  an  inward 
principle  and  deliverance  from  the  bondage  of  externalism 
of  every  kind.     When  one  asks  why  this  fulness  all  came  Christ's  full 
through   Jesus  Christ  we  must  simply  mark   again  his  don^of  the 
relation  to   God.     Only  he  who   has   seen   God  in  the  ^^^^"  ^'^^ 
intimacy   of  personal,  unhindered  communion  can  make 
him  fully  known.     That  no  man  ever  did  until  the  man 
Christ  Jesus  came.     He,  from  the  depths  of  his  insight 
and  from  the  fellowship  of  his  unparalleled  sonship,  has 
interpreted  the  Father. 

85 


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III 

THE   BEGINNINGS   OF   THE   HISTORY 

Where  It  is  the  purpose  of  this  Gospel,  as  we  have  abeady 

rative^be^'^  seen,  to  lead  men  to  believe  that  Jesus  is  the  Messiah, 
^Jy  ^""^  the  son  of  God,  and  through  that  faith  to  gain  eternal 
life.  Consistent  with  this  purpose,  John  does  not  begin 
his  account  of  Jesus  until  after  the  Temptation.  A  mo- 
ment's reflection  will  show  why.  It  was  at  the  Baptism 
that  Jesus  came  to  the  full,  clear  consciousness  of  his 
mission.  In  that  significant  hour  he  was  equipped  with 
power  for  service  (Luke  4:1),  and  in  the  word,  "Thou 
art  my  beloved  son,  in  thee  I  am  well  pleased"  (Mk. 
1:  11)  he  heard  the  confirmation  of  all  his  hopes,  ques- 
tionings, and  longings — he  was  the  Messiah.  The 
weighty,  solemn  problems  of  his  exalted  position  called 
for  retirement  and  meditation.  Then  came  the  Temp- 
tation. It  is  worthy  of  note  that  this  critical  period  in 
the  Master's  Hfe  is  put  by  all  the  Synoptics  immediately 
after  the  Baptism.  It  could  have  come  at  no  earlier 
time,  for  the  Temptation  is  no  mere  model  for  Christian 
conduct  in  the  hour  of  seduction  to  evil.  It  is  all  that 
and  vastly  more,  even  the  settlement  of  the  way  by  which 
Messiahship  should  be  realized  and  manifested.  The 
Baptism  and  the  Temptation  are,  therefore,  of  profound 
86 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John      The  Prologue 

significance  in  the  Hfe  of  Jesus.  He  comes  from  them 
as  the  Messiah — proclaimed,  tried,  triumphant — the 
very  Messiah  whom  John  wishes  us  to  see.  He  steps 
out  into  the  liglit  of  public  service ;  and  every  deed,  as 
well  as  every  word,  is  to  make  him  indisputable  in  claim 
and  supremely  worthy  of  acceptance.  The  marvels  that 
surrounded  his  birth  and  the  glimpse  into  his  boyhood 
life  are  of  no  moment  to  John.  These  do  not  contribute 
essentially  to  his  purpose.  He  begins  when  the  great 
central  figure,  who  fills  all  his  thought,  has  come  upon 
the  stage.  From  the  very  first  we  must  see  Jesus  who  is 
the  Christ.  Mark  now  how  graphically  the  account 
opens.  The  last  word  of  the  prologue  has  hardly 
finished  its  impress  upon  the  memory  when  the  drama 
begins  whose  scenes  are  to  show  us  how,  and  with  what 
success,  the  only  begotten  Son  interpreted  the  Father; 
nay,  more  than  this,  to  show  us  the  only  begotten  Son  as 
the  interpreter  of  the  Father.  To  continue  the  figure 
which  John's  graphic  method  suggests,  the  rolling  up  of 
the  curtain  reveals  to  us  all  the  typical  factors  of  the 
tragedy  which  is  to  be  enacted — John  the  Baptist,  the 
Jews,  disciples,  and  Jesus  himself.  We  begin  our  study 
of  the  history  with  that  grouping  of  these  factors  which 
comes  from  the  testimonies  of  the  Baptist  and  the  per- 
sonal influence  of  Jesus. 


87 


The  Prologue 


The  Messages  of  Jesus 


The  wide- 
spread in- 
terest in  a 
prophet's 
voice  (19) 


John's  re- 
ply to  the 
committee 
from  Jeru- 
salem 
(20-27) 


IV 

THE    TESTIMONIES    OF    THE    BAPTIST    (1:19-42) 

I.  First  Testimony  to  the  Deputation  Sent  Down  from 
Jerusalem  (i :  19-28) 

The  vigorous,  earnest,  fearless  preaching  of  John  had 
drawn  multitudes  to  him  and  caused  a  wide-spread  sensa- 
tion. It  was  something  new  in  Israel  to  hear  again  a 
prophet's  voice.  The  ringing  tones  of  the  Baptist  broke 
upon  a  silence  of  four  centuries  and  the  call,  "Repent,  for 
the  kingdom  of  heaven  is  at  hand,"  quickened  eager  hopes 
and  awakened  earnest  questionings.  It  was  the  business 
of  the  sanhedrin,  the  Jewish  supreme  court  in  Jerusalem, 
to  keep  a  watchful  eye  upon  all  matters  affecting  the  re- 
ligious welfare  of  the  nation.  The  claims  of  any  would-be 
religious  leader  and  the  orthodoxy  of  his  teachings  must 
satisfy  this  august  body  if  he  was  not  to  feel  the  power  and 
constancy  of  its  opposition.  Hence  the  delegation  of 
priests  and  Levites  from  Jerusalem.  It  had  two  questions 
to  ask:  ''Who  are  you?"  and  "Why  do  you  baptize?" 
There  had  been  considerable  discussion  among  the  people 
as  to  whether  John  the  Baptist  were  the  Messiah  (Lk. 
3:  15).  Therefore,  their  first  inquiry,  "Art  thou  the 
Christ?"  to  which  John  gave  a  quick  and  decisive  answer, 
"I  am  not  the  Messiah."  Unless  he  were  an  impostor, 
88 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John      The  Prologue 

only  two  possibilities  remained:  Either  he  must  be  Elijah, 
who,  according  to  the  teaching  of  the  scribes,  on  the  basis 
of  Malachi  4:5,  would  be  the  forerunner  of  the  day  of  the 
Lord,  or  else  that  ancient  prophet,  be  it  Jeremiah  or  some 
other,  who  was,  according  to  Deuteronomy  18:  15,  to 
come  and  who  by  some  was  distinguished  from  the  Messiah 
(Jn.  7:  40,  41),  by  others  confused  with  him  (Jn.  6:  14; 
Matt.  16  :  13,  14).  As  their  expectations  involved  a  bodily 
return  of  these  ancient  worthies,  John  promptly  replied 
that  he  was  neither  Elijah  nor  the  prophet.  A  merely 
negative  answer,  however,  would  not  satisfy  the  Jerusalem 
authorities,  and  upon  being  pressed  for  a  positive  declara- 
tion, the  Baptist  described  himself  in  the  language  of 
Isaiah  (40  : 3),  and  with  notable  self-effacement  as 

"A  voice  crying  in  the  wilderness, 
Straighten  the  way  of  the  Lord." 

Immediately,  then,  came  the  question,  *'Why,  if  thou  art 
neither  the  Christ  nor  Elijah,  art  thou  baptizing?"  The 
Pharisees  were  represented  in  this  delegation,  and  they 
wished  particularly  to  know  what  right  he  had  to  treat 
Israelites  as  if  they  were  proselytes.  According  to  tradi- 
tion, the  purification  of  the  people  was  to  be  one  of  the  acts 
initiating  the  kingdom,  but  that  purification  was  to  be  ac- 
complished either  by  the  Messiah  or  by  his  forerunner. 
The  Baptist's  answer  to  this  question  has  been  often  mis- 
understood.    He  does  not  justify  his  action  by  emphasizing 


The  Prologue 


The  Messages  of  Jesus 


Place  of 

testimony 

(28) 


an  antithesis  between  "baptizing  with  water"  and  ''bap- 
tizing with  the  Spirit."  That  comes  in  the  witness  of  the 
next  day.  His  answer  is  virtually  this:  The  situation 
justifies  me,  since  now  in  your  midst  stands  one  whom  you 
do  not  know.  I  know  him  and  he  is  the  one  who  cometh 
after  me.  So  exalted  is  he  in  character  and  station  that  I 
am  not  worthy  to  do  even  the  menial  service  of  undoing 
his  shoe.  My  baptism  with  water  is  a  solemn  preparation 
for  him. 

This  first  testimony  to  the  Messiah  was  given  in  Bethany, 
on  the  eastern  side  of  the  Jordan. 


2.  Second  Testimony:  To  the  Multitude  upon  the 
First  Public  Appearance  of  Jesus  as  the  Messiah 
(1:29-34) 

Jesus  Immediately  after  his  baptism  Jesus  sought  privacy  that 

John  the  he  might,  alone  with  God,  consider  the  duties  and  claims 
aptis  Uo;  ^£  j^jg  divine  mission  (Lk.  4:1).  As  has  been  already 
said,  it  was  a  time  of  temptation  and  of  triumph.  When 
he  was  ready  to  return  to  the  world,  he  naturally  turned 
to  John,  for  around  him  he  would  find  receptive  spirits 
for  his  message.  And  it  happened  that  he  came  to  the 
place  of  the  Baptist's  activity  on  the  next  day  after  the 
departure  of  the  deputation  from  Jerusalem.  These  days 
are  all  distinctly  remembered,  for  it  was  on  that  never- 
to-be-forgotten  third  day  that  "one  of  the  two  who  heard 
90 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John      The  Prologue 

John  and  followed  Jesus"  (40),  came  to  the  faith  which 
gave  him  a  Saviour  and  made  the  writing  of  this  Gospel 
possible.  The  Baptist  saw  Jesus  coming,  and  immediately 
exclaimed,  "Behold  the  Lamb  of  God  which  taketh  away 
the  sin  of  the  world!" 

Two  questions  at  once  present  themselves  in  regard  Does  the 
to  this  witness :   (l)  Is  the  latter  half  of  it  an  interpreta-  o?john"the 
tion  put  into  the  mouth  of  the  Baptist  by  the  evangelist  ?  wftSeJs  be- 
(2)  To  what  lamb  is  reference  made  by  the  explicit  ex-  long  to  him? 
pression  the  Lamb  ? 

The  brief  summary  of  the  Baptist's  preaching  given 
in  the  Synoptics  shows  us  that  his  thought  of  the  Mes- 
siah's work  was  almost  entirely  one  of  judgment.  "He 
shall  some  with  fan  in  hand  to  cleanse  his  threshing-floor, 
and  he  will  gather  his  wheat  into  the  garner,  but  the 
chaff  he  will  burn  up  with  unquenchable  fire"  (Matt. 
3: 12).  This  message  suited  well  the  stern,  uncompro- 
mising character  of  the  messenger.  To  a  certain  extent 
John  was  a  man  of  his  time.  His  spiritual  earnestness 
did  not  save  him  entirely  from  sharing  that  popular 
vision  of  glorious  issues  when  judgment  should  end  in 
triumph.  It  was  the  commixture  of  his  conception  with 
all  he  had  taught  which  led  him  in  the  trying  days  of  his 
imprisonment  to  send  to  Jesus  to  ask  him  if  he  were 
really  the  Messiah  (Matt.  11:3). 

When  Jesus  came  to  the  Baptism  the  quiet  dignity 

91 


The  Prologue  The  Messages  of  Jesus 

and  moral  majesty  of  his  presence  overawed  this  stern 
prophet  of  the  wilderness.  There  was  no  outward  sym- 
bol of  fierce  judgment  in  his  hand.  He  came  with  all 
gentleness  and  meekness,  and  John  knew  too  well  the 
perversity  of  Israel  to  believe  that  this  meek  and  gentle 
spirit  could  meet  with  anything  else  than  suffering  and 
Isaiah's  de-  insult.  The  picture  in  Isaiah's  well-known  description 
applied  to  of  the  "Servant  of  God "  flashed  upon  his  mind,  and  in 
the  exclamation,  "Behold  the  Lamb  of  God, "  he  applied 
the  description  to  him  who  stood  before  him.  Isaiah 
speaks  of  the  "Servant  of  God"  as  "bearing,"  not  "tak- 
ing away,"  and  sin-bearing  involves  two  elements — 
vital  sympathy  for  the  one  who  sins,  and  unequivocal 
condemnation  of  his  sin.  Hence,  in  bearing  sin  Jesus 
continually  expressed  judgment,  and  yet  manifested 
divine  compasssion.  It  is  questionable  whether  John 
understood  that  the  sufferings  of  Jesus  were  to  be  ex- 
piatory. Such  an  understanding  is  beyond  the  range  of 
conception  of  any  who  appear  in  the  Gospels  except  of 
Jesus  himself.  It  is  true  that  John  was  a  prophet,  and 
his  word  may  have  been  a  revelation;  but  it  is  well  to 
remember,  as  Weiss  urges,  that  "it  is  not  in  the  nature  of 
divine  revelation  to  make  communications  which  have 
no  point  of  contact  either  in  the  spiritual  life  of  the 
prophets  or  in  the  minds  of  those  to  whom  he  speaks." 
It  is  one  of  the  notable  facts  of  the  experience  of  the 
disciples,  that  they  were  perplexed  until  the  passion 
92 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John      The  Prologue 

week  itself,  at  their  Master's  words  regarding  his  death. 
John's  position  was  rather  like  that  of  Simeon  (Luke 
2 :  35) .  For  these  reasons  the  latter  half  of  the  statement 
appears  to  be  an  interpretation  of  the  evangelist.  This 
now  is  strengthened  by  the  fact  that  on  the  next  day  the 
Baptist  gives  the  simple  witness,  "Behold  the  Lamb  of 
God ! "  It  will,  of  course,  be  understood  that  this  relega- 
tion of  the  clause  to.  the  evangehst  in  no  way  detracts 
from  its  truthfulness  any  more  than  does  a  like  view  of 
17:  3.  All  through  the  Gospel  we  shall  find  the  evan- 
gehst adding  his  interpretations  and  comments.  The 
brief  witness,  "Behold  the  Lamb  of  God, "  makes  more 
intelligible  the  position  and  preaching  of  the  Baptist. 
Had  he  held  such  a  clear  view  of  the  expiatory,  atoning 
death  of  Jesus  as  this  whole  declaration  of  verse  29  im- 
phes,  it  is  diflScult  to  understand  how  he  could  come  into 
perplexity  regarding  him  (Matt.  11:3). 

In  thus  answering  the  first  question  we  have  virtually  The  lamb 
answered  the  second.     From  the  view-point  of  the  evan-  Sah's  pkt- 
gehst  it  may  be  possible  to  think  of  the  paschal  lamb;  ^^^ 
from  that  of  John  the  Baptist  we  must  keep  before  us 
the  lamb  of  Isaiah's  likeness  (Isa.  53:7). 

John  well  knew  that  this  description  of  the  Messiah  jesussu- 
was  utterly  different  from  that  which  filled  the  thoughts  john'^th^ 
and  hopes  of  his  hearers,  so  he  repeats  what  he  had  said  ^^p^'^^  ^^o) 
to  the  deputation  on  the  previous  day:  "This  is  he  who 
93 


The  Prologue  The  Messages  of  Jesus 

Cometh  after  me,  who  has  come  to  be  my  Master,  for  the 
very  reason  that  from  the  beginning  he  was  more  exalted 
than  I,  being  the  very  Son  of  God."  He  then  explains 
how  he  came  to  his  knowledge  of  Jesus  as  the  Messiah. 
"I  did  not  know  him  as  the  Messiah  when  first  I  came  to 
bear  witness  of  him,  but  I  knew  that  I  was  to  prepare 
the  way  for  his  appearance  and  so  I  began  my  work  of 
How  John  baptizing  with  water.  One  day  he  came  to  be  baptized, 
knew  Jesus  and  then  he  was  revealed  to  me,  for,  just  as  in  prophetic 
(31-34)  vision,  I  saw  the  Spirit  coming  down  from  heaven  as  a 
dove  gently  descends  from  the  upper  air,  and  that  Spirit 
rested  upon  him.  In  other  words,  I  came  face  to  face  with 
that  embodiment  of  meekness  and  holiness  which  gave 
indubitable  evidence  of  the  Spirit's  presence  and  power. 
The  vision  was  to  me  conclusive,  since  it  presented  to  me 
just  what  he  who  called  me  to  my  mission  told  me  would 
distinguish  the  one  who  was  to  make  men  holy  by  the 
baptism  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  I  have  seen  the  very  Son  of 
God,  and  my  witness  since  that  day  has  continually 
been  to  the  Messiah  as  such." 

3.   Third  Testimony:  To  Two  oj  His  Own  Disciples 

(1:35-42) 

The  begin-       The  third  day's  history  advances  upon  the  other  two, 
not  in  the  character  or  fulness  of  the  witness  given,  but  in 
the  fact  that  it  sets  forth  the  beginning  of  the  Messianic 
94 


nings  of 

faith 

(35-42) 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John      The  Prologue 

activity  of  Jesus.  He  is  not  only  declared  by  the  Baptist 
to  be  the  Lamb  of  God,  but  he  is  received  by  two  of  John's 
disciples  who  acknowledge  his  claims.  Faith  in  Jesus 
makes  its  glad  beginning.  It  is  to  be  noted,  moreover, 
that  this  faith  is  not  due  to  the  witness  of  the  Baptist, 
else  the  two  who  followed  Jesus  would  not  have  addressed 
him  as  "Teacher."  It  was  bom  in  those  hours  when 
they  held  quiet  converse  with  him  in  the  abode  to  which 
he  cordially  invited  them.  So  definite  is  the  memory  of 
that  significant  interview  that  the  very  time  of  its  beginning 
is  remembered — four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon.  Andrew 
and  John  were  these  two  disciples.  With  the  birth  of 
faith  began  the  missionary  spirit,  and  Andrew  hurried 
to  find  his  brother  Simon,  to  tell  him  that  he  and  John  had 
found  the  Messiah.  The  story  of  the  Gospel,  yet  to  be 
opened  before  us,  will  show  us  how  imperfectly  they 
understood  what  they  had  found,  but  they  knew  enough 
to  realize  that  a  new  force  had  entered  into  their  lives. 
For  Simon,  as  for  John,  it  was  a  day  ''big  with  meaning." 
The  new  relationship  into  which  he  had  come  was  to  be 
marked  by  a  new  name.     He  was  to  be  called  Peter. 


95 


The  Prologue  The  Messages  of  Jesus 


THE    TESTIMONY    OF    PHILIP    AND    NATHANAEL 

(1:43-51) 

Jesus  in-  On  the  following  day  as  Jesus  decided  to  go  forth  to 

to  go  with^  Galilee,  with  the  intention  probably  of  making  a  farewell 
lee"(l*^,  44)"  visit  to  his  home  before  entering  upon  his  public  ministry, 
as  he  was  departing,  he  came  upon  Philip,  a  fellow-towns- 
man of  Andrew   and  Peter,   from   Bethsaida.^    It  was 
undoubtedly  the  same  deep  interest  in  the  work  of  the 
Baptist  as  had  brought  his  friends,  that  had  drawn  him  to 
the  Jordan,  and  Jesus,  marking  the  earnestness  of  the  man, 
invited  him  to  accompany  them  on  the  journey  northward. 
Philip's  tes-  They  had  not  been  long  on  the  way  when  Philip  meets  an 
Nathanael    old  friend,  Nathanael,^  on  his  way  either  to  or  from  the 
4  Jordan,  and  he  at  once  hastens  to  him  with  the  glad  news 

that  he  and  the  others  of  the  little  company  had  found  in 
Jesus,  the  son  of  Joseph,  of  Nazareth,  the  very  one  re- 

1  Considerable  uncertainty  yet  remains  regarding  the  site  of  Bethsaida. 
If  there  were  two  Bethsaidas,  then  the  most  likely  site  for  the  Bethsaida  of 
Galilee  is  the  modem  et-Tabgha,  on  the  northwestern  shore  of  the  lake. 

2  Nathanael  is  generally  identified  with  Bartholomew.  There  is  no  posi- 
tive proof  of  this  identification,  but  the  following  reasons  are  given  for  it:  (i) 
Bartholomew  is  coupled  with  Philip  in  the  list  of  the  Apostles  (Matt.  10:  3; 
Mk.  3:  18;  Lk.  6:  14).  (2)  Bartholomew  is  never  mentioned  in  John; 
Nathanael  never  by  the  Synoptics;  Bartholomew  is  a  patronymic  (son  of 
Tolmai),  and  suggests  the  existence  of  another,  personal  name. 

96 


According  to  the   Gospel  of  John      The  Prologue 

garding  whom  Moses  and  the  prophets  had  written,  that 
is,  the  Messiah.     Nathanael  was  astonished  at  this  word, 
for  not  only  was  it  proverbial  that  "out  of  Galilee  ariseth 
no  prophet"  (7:52),  but  also  it  was  to  him  even  more 
unlikely  that  from  so  obscure  a  town  as  Nazareth,  whose 
name  was  not  found  in  the  Old  Testament,  the  Messiah 
could  come.     He  honestly  expressed  his  doubt  to  Philip, 
and  was  earnestly  invited  to  join  them  and  see  for  himself. 
As  Jesus  saw  him  approaching  he  remarked  in  the  hearing  Jesus's 
of  those  about  him,  "There  is  a  man  who  is  truly  an  Nathanael 
Israelite — one  who  prevails  with   God — honest,   sincere,  ^'^^'  '*  ' 
and  earnestly  desirous  of  the  truth!"     Nathanael,  over- 
hearing these  words,  asks  Jesus  in  surprise  how  he  knew 
him.     Through  a  miracle  of  omniscience  Jesus  had  read 
the  troubled  but  honest  spirit  of  Nathanael,  and  so  he  tells 
him  that  while  he  was  meditating  and  praying  under  the 
shade  of  a  wayside  fig-tree,  before  Philip  had  even  spoken 
to  him,  his  whole  mind  was  open  to  him.     This  reply.  The  wit- 
revealing  supernatural  knowledge,  at  once  dispelled  all  SianaeiVo' 
doubts,  and  Nathanael  exclaimed,  "Thou  art  the  Son  of  Jromfse^of 
God.     Thou  art  the  King  of  Israel!"     His  prayer  under  ^^^^"(^^Ji^j) 
the  fig-tree,  that  he  might  find  him  of  whom  the  Baptist 
was  speaking,  had  been  answered.     Jesus  then  said  to  him, 
"Thou  beHevest  because  I  said  I  saw  thee  under  the  fig- 
tree.     Greater  things  than  this  miracle  of  knowledge  shalt 
thou  see.     In  me  shall  the  dream  of  Jacob  be  fulfilled,  and 
ye  all  shall  see  in  my  life  and  word  and  works  those  miracu- 
97 


The  Prologue  The  Messages  of  Jestis 

lous  energies  and  divine  revelations  which  shall  tell  you 
of  my  unhindered  commission  with  heaven  and  its  constant 
presence  with  me." 

VI 

THE    MIRACLE    AT   CANA    (2:i-Il) 

The  failure  On  the  third  day  after  Jesus  started  from  the  place  where 
ply  of  wine  John  was  baptizing  he  reached  Cana  of  Galilee,  where 
ding  feast '  Nathanael  had  his  home  and  where  IMary  at  the  time  was 
^^"^^  in   attendance   upon   a   wedding.     Both    Jesus   and   the 

disciples  were  invited  to  the  feast,  whose  supply  of  wine, 
probably  because  of  the  large  addition  of  guests,  gave  out. 
Mary's  re-  In  the  perplexity  of  the  situation,  Mary  turned  to  Jesus  and 
its^meaning  Urged  upon  him  the  manifestation  of  his  Messiahship.  In 
what  form  she  put  her  request  we  do  not  know,  but  if  she 
asked  for  a  miracle,  she  asked  also  for  far  more.  She 
doubtless  wanted  the  realization  of  the  dreams  which  had 
shaped  themselves  from  the  prophecies  made  at  his  birth, 
from  the  reflections  of  the  long  years  of  waiting,  and  from 
the  astonishing  news  that  had  just  come  from  the  Jordan. 
Those  dreams  were  not,  and  could  not  be,  free  from  the  ele- 
ments which  tainted  the  hopes  of  even  the  most  spiritually 
minded  of  that  day — power,  earthly  glor}',  visible  kingship. 
The  time  had  come  when  Jesus  must  part  company  with 
even  his  mother  in  so  far  as  she  cherished  such  ambitions. 
Tenderly,  earnestly  he  said  to  her,  "My  dear  woman,  your 

98 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John      The  Prologue 

aims  and  hopes  are  not  mine.     I  cannot  gratify  you.     The  The  reply  of 
time  has  not  come  for  the  manifestation  of  my  Messiahship.  Mary's  con- 
You  do  not  understand  what  you  are  asking."     Realizing  (4,^5" 
her  mistake,  yet  confident  that  in  some  way,  perhaps  by 
sending  to  friends  or  by  special  purchase,  he  would  relieve 
the  embarrassment  of  the  festivities,  she  said  to  the  servants, 
"Do  whatever  he  tells  you  to  do."     Near  by  stood  six  stone 
jars  used  for  customary  Jewish  purifications  both  of  per- 
sons and  utensils,  and  holding  from  eighteen  to  twenty- 
seven  gallons.     Jesus  commanded  the  servants  to  fill  them 
full  of  water,  and,  drawing  thence,  to  carry  the  supply  to 
the  master  of  the  feast.     This  they  did.     When  the  master  The  mira- 

clc  of  W3.tcr 

of  the  feast  tasted  the  wine,  which  had  been  miraculously  made  wine 
made  from  the  water,  not  knowing  whence  it  came  (only 
the  servants  who  drew  it  from  the  jars  knew  that),  he  sent 
for  the  bridegroom  and  said  to  him,  ''Contrary  to  the  usual 
custom  of  a  feast  thou  hast,  instead  of  giving  poorer  wine 
as  the  feast  progressed,  kept  the  good  wine  until  now." 

Thus  in  Cana  of  Galilee  did  Jesus  begin  to  work  miracles  The  begin- 
and  to  make  evident  the  power  with  which  he  had  been  signs  (n) 
equipped  at  the  Jordan — the  power  which  was  to  be  part 
of  the  revelation  of  his  Messiahship.  To  the  disciples 
alone  does  the  miracle  appear  to  have  been  a  sign  pointing 
to  something  beyond  the  display  of  wonderful  power — 
hence  their  faith  was  deepened  and  strengthened. 


99 


THE  PUBLIC  MINISTRY  OF  JESUS 

INCIDENTS  SELECTED  TO  ILLUSTRATE  THAT  SELF- 
REVELATION  OF  JESUS  WHICH  AWAKENED  FAITH 
IN   JUDEA,    SAMARIA,    AND   IN   GALILEE 


THE   PUBLIC   MINISTRY   OF   JESUS 
I 

THE   MINISTRY   IN   JUDEA    (2:13-3:21) 

I.   The  Cleansing  oj  the  Temple  (2:13-22) 

The  time  was  drawing  near  for  the  feast  of  the  Passover.  Jesus  goes 
Jesus  went  down  with  the  family  and  his  disciples  to  n°aumT") 
Capernaum    to   pay  a  visit,   perhaps,   to   the    home  of 
Zebedee  and  then  to  join  a  caravan  for  Jerusalem.     The 
Fourth  Gospel  knows  nothing  of  any  earlier  visit  to  the 
capital  than  this,  and  since  with  the  startling  act  of  cleans- 
ing the  temple  the  evangelist  opens  the  public  ministry 
of  Jesus,  it  is  well  to  bear  in  mind  how  completely  the 
relation  of  the  Master  to  the  Holy  City  had  been  changed 
by  all  that  had  occurred  at  the  Baptism.     Jesus  now  comes  He  goes  to 
to  Jerusalem  for  the  first  time  in  the  full  consciousness  of  (""^^  ^™ 
his  Messiahship.     His  cleansing  of  the  central  shrine  of  the 
nation  is  in  the  eyes  of  the  evangeHst  truly  Messianic;  it  is 
symbohc  of  his  whole  mission.     Being  such,   it  is  his- 
torically in  the  right  place  in  this  Gospel  rather  than  at 
the  last  Passover  where  the  Synoptics  put  it  for  the  reason, 
in  all  probability,  that  they  give  account  of  but  one  Pass- 
over.    Gradually  the  business  of  providing  worshippers 

103 


Public  Ministry 


The  Messages  of  Jesiis 


He  ex- 
presses his 
judgment 
of  the  Tem- 
ple's dese- 
cration 
(14-17) 


with  offerings  or  with  money  for  the  temple  tribute  had 
pushed  itself  into  the  Court  of  the  Gentiles.  The  noise 
and  disorder  occasioned  thereby,  as  well  as  the  unfair  ad- 
vantages taken  from  the  necessities  of  the  purchasers,  had 
long  made  this  traffic  a  disgrace  to  the  city.  The  whole 
of  it  was  not  only  inconsistent  with  the  purpose  of  the 
court — a  place  for  prayer  and  meditation — but  it  was  also 
an  insult  to  the  Gentiles.  Jesus  determined,  irrespective 
of  the  rights  of  the  temple  police,  to  express  his  judgment 
upon  it.  As  he  now  entered  the  temple,  the  very  desecra- 
tion was  a  call  to  act.  Gathering  up  some  cords  lying 
upon  the  pavement,  He  twisted  them  into  a  small  scourge, 
and  drove  the  animals  out  of  the  sacred  enclosure.  In  an 
indignation  not  to  be  withstood,  he  swept  the  money  of 
the  money  changers  onto  the  floor,  and  overturned  their 
tables.  Then  turning  to  the  dove-sellers  standing  in  help- 
less anxiety  beside  their  cages,  he  said,  "Take  these  things 
out  of  the  place,  and  'do  not  be  found  again  making  my 
Father's  house  a  house  of  trade."  In  the  eyes  of  the  people 
it  was  the  act  of  a  reformer,  justified  ahke  by  the  sense  of 
guilt  on  the  part  of  those  who  had  engaged  in  or  abetted 
the  business,  and  by  the  sense  of  righteousness  in  those  who 
had  deplored  the  desecration.  As  the  disciples  beheld  in 
wonderment  the  burning,  consuming  indignation  of  the 
Master  and  aftenv^ard  thought  upon  it,  the  words  of 
Psalm  69:10  came  to  their  minds,  "Zeal  for  thy  house 
shall  eat  me  up."  The  Jewish  authorities,  however,  were 
104 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John   Public  Ministry 

in  a  dilemma.  They  dared  not  openly  condemn  the  act, 
seconded  as  it  was  by  the  conscience  of  the  people,  and 
they  were  unwilling  to  compromise  themselves  by  recogniz- 
ing its  justice.  They,  therefore,  demanded  a  sign  or  proof  The  de- 
of  his  right  to  do  such  a  bold  deed.  Jesus,  avoiding  a  con-  sign  and  the 
fession  of  Messiahship,  and  unwilling  to  make  claim  to  the  jesus° 
authority  of  a  mere  prophet,  answered  enigmatically —  ^^^'  ^^' 
''Destroy  this  temple,  as  your  present  course  of  conduct 
surely  will  ultimately  do,  and  in  a  short  time  I  will  build  it 
up  again."  He  was  referring  to  the  erection  of  the  temple 
of  the  kingdom  of  heaven,  which  was  yet  to  be,  but  they 
supposed  that  he  all  the  while  was  speaking  of  the  splendid 
structure  which  Herod  began,  and  which  at  great  cost 
through  forty-six  years  had  been  rearing.  Of  course  they 
derided  the  pretension,  and  thus  the  words  were  to  them 
no  sign.  Long  after,  when  the  resurrection  had  made 
clear  to  the  disciples  the  significance  of  the  person  and 
work  of  Jesus,  this  word  gained  a  new  meaning  and,  helped 
by  the  suggestion  of  the  proverbial  three  days,  they  ap- 
plied it  to  the  body  of  the  Master.  This  is  the  evangelist's 
view  of  it,  and  because  he  thus  interprets  it  he  sees  in  the 
attitude  of  the  hierarchy  the  beginning  of  that  animosity 
which  was  at  last  to  bring  its  accomplishment. 

We  have  here  in  verse  19  a  clear  instance  of  the  Jo-  Aninter- 
hannine  method  of  interpreting  Jesus.     In  the  record  of  by  the 
the  trial  of  Jesus  false  witnesses  declared  that  he  had  (21^12/^* 


Public  Ministry  The  Messages  of  Jesus 

said  that  Ue  would  destroy  the  temple  made  with  hands 
and  after  three  days  build  another  not  made  with  hands. 
The  falsity  of  this  testimony  Hes  in  its  itaHcized  portions. 
The  original  form  of  the  statement  is  undoubtedly  that 
given  by  John,  in  which  Jesus  says  nothing  about  his 
destroying  the  temple.  At  the  same  time  the  addition 
*'made  with  hands"  shows  how  clearly  the  Jews  under- 
stood the  reference  of  Jesus  to  be  to  the  great  stone 
structure  in  Jerusalem.  Unless  he  specifically  pointed  by 
gesture  to  his  own  body,  they  could  not  well  understand 
anything  else.  The  phrase  "made  without  hands  "  is  the 
interpretation  which  they  gave  to  the  assertion  of  Jesus 
that  he  "would  raise  it  in  three  days."  John's  account 
itself  (verse  20)  shows  that  there  was  no  indication  that 
Jesus  pointed  to  his  body.  The  whole  sentence  was 
enigmatical  because  referred  by  his  hearers  to  the  temple 
structure.  In  Samaria  Jesus  spoke  more  clearly,  and 
we  find  there  what  he  meant  by  "I  will  raise  it  up  in 
three  days  "  (4:21,  23).  He  would  soon  erect  a  temple 
in  which  God  would  dwell  in  a  truer  sense  than  he  ever 
had  in  the  Holy  of  Holies.  As  John  understood  the  work 
and  word  of  Jesus  when  he  wrote  his  Gospel,  he  saw 
that  the  crucifixion  of  Jesus  and  His  resurrection  signi- 
fied in  their  deepest  meaning  historically  the  destruction 
of  the  temple  and  its  ritual.  He  therefore  reads  into 
the  words  of  Jesus  this  deeper  meaning.  It  is,  how- 
ever, only  in  this  interpretative  sense  that  the  words  are 
io6 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John   Public  Ministry 

historical.     Their  truth  is  unquestionable,  but  they  are 
John's  interpretation. 

2.    The  Signs  Wrought  in  the  City  (2:23-25) 

The  cleansing  of  the  Temple  made  Jesus  the  centre  of  The  effect 
interest  during  the  days  of  the  feast.     Crowds  must  have  cies\nj&ru- 
attended  him  whithersoever  he  went,  and  we  can  suppose  ^^  ^™ 
that  he  began  immediately  to  preach  about  "the  King- 
dom."    As  a  teacher  he  came  unaccredited  by  school  or 
rabbi,  but  power  had  been  given  him  at  the  Jordan  by 
which  to  win  attention  to  his  message.     That  power  he 
now  used  in  performing  wonderful  cures,  and  the  record 
is  that  many  believed  on  his  name  when  they  saw  the 
miracles  which  he  did.     It  must  be  remembered,  however, 
that  if  these  people  looked  upon  him  as  the  Messiah,  it  was 
with  confused  notions  as  to  what  the  Messiah  would  be. 
A  wonder-worker  who  would  finally  by  miracle  bring  about 
the  supremacy  of  the  nation  in  the  world  they  all  would 
eagerly  follow.     It  would  be  far  different  with  many  when 
they  came  to  see  that  "the  Kingdom  "  meant  no  such  issue. 
Jesus  soon  detected  the  mere  wonder-seeking  faith  and  was  Jesus's  dis- 
very  guarded  in  reference  to  it.     His  long  and  varied  ex-  sign-begot- 
perience  with  men  had  made  him  an  expert  in  judging  their  (23-25) 
motives.     His  opening  work  in  Jerusalem  had  resulted  in 
grievous  disappointments  as  well  as  in  cheering  successes. 


107 


Public  Ministry  The  Messages  of  Jesiis 


3.    The  Conversation  with  Nicodemus  (3:1-15) 

The  pur-  This  sccne  is  very  closely  connected  with  the  verses 

na?ra°ive;*  immediately  preceding  it.  A  faith  begotten  by  miracles 
of  Nkodi°°  is  the  faith  of  Nicodemus.  While  therefore  this  chap- 
'"^^  ter  shows  how  Jesus  treated  such  a  faith  when  it  came 

seeking  for  light,  the  main  purpose  of  the  narrative  is 
its  record  of  the  self -revelation  of  Jesus.  Nicodemus, 
a  Pharisee  and  a  member  of  the  Sanhedrin,  is  a  type  of 
the  noble  side  of  Pharisaism.  His  mental  attitude  re- 
flects faithfully  the  historical  situation  in  which  he  was 
placed.  The  preaching  of  John  the  Baptist  allowed  no 
exceptions  to  its  call  for  repentance,  and  thereby  gave 
grave  offence  to  the  religious  leaders  of  the  day.  Jesus 
came  preaching  about  that  same  Kingdom  and  attesting 
the  reality  and  value  of  this  message  by  the  working  of 
wonderful  signs.  Would  he  make  the  same  inflexible 
demand  alike  of  Pharisee  or  publican,  of  priest  or 
social  outcast  ?  Nicodemus,  deeply  impressed  with  what 
he  had  seen,  determined  to  seek  out  this  new  teacher 
and  ask.  UnwilHng  to  have  it  known  that  he  was 
cultivating  intercourse  with  Jesus,  he  came  by  night. 
He  came  probably  with  a  patronizing  tone,  and  Jesus 
spoke  to  him  as  a  representative  of  a  class.  Of  all 
that  passed  between  the  two  we  have  only  a  meagre 
account,  but  it  is  made  up  of  such  striking  state- 
108 


Accordijig  to  the  Gospel  of  John   Public  Ministry 

ments  as  would  fasten  them  upon  the  memory  of  one 
who  hstened  to  it. 

"  Rabbi,  the  miracles  which  we  (referring  to  other  mem-  Nicode- 
bers  of  the  Sanhedrin)  have  seen  you  perform  are  to  us  in-  "uiHes'con- 
dubitable  proof  that  you  are  a  teacher  sent  from  God,  for  no  KhJgdSm^^ 
one  could  do  such  wonderful  deeds  unless  by  God's  direct  ^^~^^ 
assistance.     In  your  teaching  you  have  spoken  often  of  the 
Kingdom  of  God.     I  have  come  in  order  to  know  more 
about  it.     Are  we  to  see  in  these  miracles  signs  of  its 
appearing?    When  shall  we  see  it?    What  must  one  do  to 
enter  into  it?  "     "You  ask  me  when  you  shall  see  it?"  said 
Jesus.     "I  cannot  tell  you  too  emphatically  that  no  one 
can  see  the  Kingdom  of  God  unless  he  has  been  born 
anew." 

It  was  not  the  mere  wording  of  the  demand  that  caused  The  reason 
Nicodemus  to   hesitate,   accustomed   as   he  was   to   the  pHseof^"'^ 
figurative  language  of  the  Old  Testament.     It  was  the  ^^^""^^^"^^ 
universal  application  of  it  that  he  could  not  understand. 
He  questions  further,  therefore,  for  the  purpose  of  drawing 
out  an  explanation.     "How  can  a  man  like  me,  being  old, 
be  bom  anew?    He  cannot  enter  into  his  mother's  womb 
a  second  time  and  be  born,  can  he?" 

Jesus  now  advances  to  the  interpretation  of  the  word  The  re- 
"anew"  and  says  with  solemn  emphasis,  unless  one  is  fo^r^'enTe^Hng 
born  "of  water  and  of  the  spirit"  he  cannot  enter  into  the  dom^sT 
Kingdom  of  God.     Jesus  sends  Nicodemus,  as  representing 
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Public  Ministry  The  Messages  of  Jesus 

the  Pharisaic  party,  back  to  the  Baptist.  Only  by  the  way 
of  John  could  they  approach  him.  The  terms  here  are 
generic,  and  mark  the  attitude  of  the  soul  on  one  side  in 
repentance  and  the  incoming  of  the  divine  on  the  other  in 
life-giving  power,  without  which  no  man  can  have  part  in 
the  Kingdom  of  God.  The  difficulty  with  Nicodemus 
came  from  his  education.  He  had  been  taught  and  had 
come  to  beHeve  that  those  who  sought  to  keep  the  law  had 
thereby  a  claim  to  the  Kingdom  of  God.  "Being  bom 
again"  was  a  requirement  all  well  and  good  for  those  who 
came  from  without  the  pale  of  Judaism,  or  for  those  within 
it  who  had  grievously  sinned  or  in  any  way  despised  the  law. 
Jesus  surprises  him  by  telHng  him  that  coming  into  the 
Kingdom  *'is  conditional  upon  quite  another  and  far  more 
radical  demand;  upon  change  of  heart,  upon  the  produc- 
The  neces-  tion  by  the  Spirit  within  a  man  of  spiritual  life."  And 
newbirth^  that  the  necessity  of  this  demand  may  be  clear,  he  calls 
^^'  '^  attention  to  the  general  law  that  no  principle  can  produce 

results  superior  to  itself,  applying  it  here  in  the  words, 
"That  which  is  bom  of  the  flesh  is  flesh,  and  that  which  is 
bom  of  the  Spirit  is  spirit." 

The  child  is  like  its  parent  in  physical  organization 
and  in  capabiHties,  adapted  to  the  physical  environment 
into  which  birth  brings  him,  and  yet  with  capacities  for  a 
higher  spiritual  life.  That  life  never  comes  into  actual 
being  until  the  heart  has  been  quickened  by  the  Spirit. 
The  Kingdom  of  God  is  the  rule  of  God  in  the  inner  life, 
no 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  JoJin   Public  Ministry 

Birth  into  merely  national  or  ecclesiastical  privileges  does 
not  of  itself  bring  about  the  heart's  acceptance  of  that  ex- 
alted, inner  Kingship.  That  is  the  outcome  of  the  Spirit's 
energy.  Do  not,  therefore,  wonder  that  I  said  to  you  that 
you  must  be  born  again.  The  Spirit,  by  which  one  is  born 
anew,  is  absolutely  free  and  independent  of  all  earthly 
conditions,  especially  of  all  Jewish  conceptions  as  to 
worthiness  in  regard  to  the  Kingdom  of  heaven. 

Like  the  wind,  which  blows  where  it  will,  and  whose  pres-  The  process 
ence  you  can  know  only  from  its  effects,  not  being  able  to  bkth\'^m^s- 
tell  whence  it  comes  and  whither  it  goes,  so  he  who  is  born  ^^^^  ^^^ 
anew  can  know  only  from  the  effects  in  soul  and  life  that 
he  is  born  anew.     The  process  is  an  utter  mystery.     Still  The  per- 
Nicodemus  was  in  perplexity.     To  this  process  of  a  spiritual  Nkodemus 
birth  he  seems  to  have  been  a  complete  stranger.     He  could       ^° 
not,  therefore,  get  away  from  the  desire  to  have  some  the- 
oretic understanding  of  it.     Because  he  had  no  experience, 
he  put  his  sad,  earnest  question,  "How  can  these  things  be?" 
Jesus  is  justly  astonished  that  such  spiritual  ignorance 
should  be  discovered  in  a  teacher  of  the  nation,  especially  as 
the  Old  Testament  made  it  abundantly  clear  that  he  who 
would  be  obedient  to  the  message  of  God  should  experience 
the  Spirit's  presence  and  blessing  (Ezek.  ii:  19;  18:31; 
Jer.  4:4;  31 :  33).     He  therefore  makes  known  to  Nicode-  The  real  at- 
mus  his  real  attitude  of  unbeHef.     ''John  the  Baptist  and  I  unbefi?/ 
speak  from  experience;  both  of  us  bear  witness  to  that  ^"'  ^^^ 
which  we  have  seen."     You  yourself  came  saying  that  no 
III 


Public  Ministry  The  Messages  of  Jesus 

one  could  do  the  miracles  which  you  have  seen  me  do  unless 
God  were  with  him,  and  yet  you  refuse  to  take  the  very  first 
step  toward  the  Kingdom  of  heaven;  you  refuse  to  meet  the 
very  first  requirement  for  the  Spirit's  blessing.  You  and 
your  colleagues  will  not  accept  one  witness.  How  then  can 
I  make  clear  to  you  those  profounder  teachings  regarding 
the  Kingdom — God's  purposes  for  the  redemption  and 
blessing  of  men — if  you  will  not  accept  in  faith  such  teach- 
ing as  I  have  already  given  you  regarding  the  necessity  of 
The  only  being  bom  anew  ?  And  yet  there  is  no  one  to  teach  you  and 
teacher  of  Others  about  these  "heavenly  things"  except  myself,  for 
thhigT  ^  the  necessary  qualification  is  that  one  should  have,  so  to 
(13-15)  speak,  gone  up  to  heaven  and  dwelt  there,  in  order  to  speak 
authoritatively  of  them.  Only  I,  the  Son  of  Man,  have  had 
such  intimate  and  abiding  communion  with  God  (see  1:1) 
as  gives  one  the  right  to  say  that  he  has  "come  down"  from 
heaven  and,  therefore,  I  speak  of  what  I  know.  And  faith 
in  me  is  not  to  come  through  that  exaltation  of  which  the 
nation  and  its  leaders  are  dreaming — the  exaltation  of 
kingly  pomp  and  earthly  glory.  Nay,  rather,  as  Moses 
lifted  up  the  serpent  in  the  wilderness,  so  must,  in  God's 
plan  and  purpose,  the  Son  of  Man  be  lifted  up.  It  is  by  a 
cross,  by  utter,  loving  self-sacrifice,  that  he  is  to  be  exalted 
in  order  that  every  one  who  accepts  him  by  faith  may  have 
in  him  and  through  him,  enduring  life. 


112 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John  Public  Ministry 


4.  Comments  of  the  Evangelist  (3:16-21) 

The  conversation  with  Nicodemus  ends  at  verse  15.  inter preta- 
This  fact  brings  us  to  a  feature  of  the  Gospel  which  mer-  evangelist; 
its  careful  attention.     It  is  to  be  remembered  that  the  came  to  be 
evangelist  wrote  long  after  the  time  of  the  events  here  what"they 
recorded.     The  author  looked  back  upon  the  life  and  ^^^  ^^^^'^ 
teaching  of  his  Master  from  the  point  of  view  of  the  end 
of  the  century.     Paul's  splendid  work  had  been  accom- 
plished, and  his  theology  of  the  crucifixion  and  resurrec- 
tion had  been  written.     The  whole  meaning  of  the  in- 
carnation had  been  set  forth.     The  nature,  power,  and 
reach  of  the  Messiahship  of  Jesus  were  understood.     It 
was  possible,  therefore,  for  the  evangelist  to  add,  where 
he  thought  it  necessary,  such  comments  upon  the  words 
of  Christ  as  would  give  their  full  significance.     In  so 
doing  he  has  made  the  words  of  Jesus  the  basis  of  all 
reflections  he  has  written.     He  writes  such  comments 
not  upon  his  own  authority,  but  as  the  result  of  his 
profound  insight  into  the  character  and  mission  of  Jesus. 
This  enhghtenment  of  the  Spirit  pervades  the  whole 
Gospel  and  is  apparent  in  one  form  or  another.     Weiss 
sees  it,  for  example,  in  verses  13  and  14  of  this  chapter, 
where  the  definite  clear  outlines  seem  to  him  due  to  the 
writer's  interpretation  of  words  of  Jesus  which  as  origi- 
nally spoken  would  not  have  carried  us  so  far.     Be  that 

113 


Public  Ministry  TJie  Messages  of  Jes7is 

as  it  may,  we  certainly  have  in  verses  16-21  reflections 
of  the  evangelist,  rather  than  the  direct  words  of  Jesus. 
Both  the  character  of  the  statements  and  their  phraseol- 
ogy show  this.  We  may  analyze  these  statements  as 
follows : 

THE   MISSION   OF  THE   SON 

I.  Its  Source  and  Purpose. 

(a)  Source:  The  love  of  God  (16).     . 
(6)  Purpose :  To  give  life  through  faith  to  save 
the  world. 
II.  The  Consequences  Attending  It. 

(a)  No  judgment  for  him  who  beheves  (18  a). 
(6)  Judgment  upon  unbehef  (18  b). 

The  reasons  for  these  consequences: 

(1)  The  love  of  darkness  or  sin  on  one 

side,  since  deeds  are  evil. 

(2)  The  love  of  hght  or  holiness  on  the 

other,  since  one  does  the  truth. 

God's  pur-       Jesus  said  that  God  sent  him  '*  in  order  that  everyone  who 

DOSC  to  S^VC 

the  world  believeth  may  have  in  him  enduring  life."  The  theology  of 
Christ's  day  taught  that  the  Messiah  was  to  come  to  judge  the 
Gentiles.  Note  that  God  did  not  send  his  Son  to  men  in  or- 
der to  execute  judgment  upon  them.  His  love  was  and  is  for 
the  whole  world,  and  the  depth  of  that  love  can  be  measured 
only  by  the  gift  which  expresses  it — his  only  Son.  God  so 
114 


(i6,  17) 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  JoJin  Public  Ministry 

loved  the  world  that  he  gave  his  only  begotten  Son  in  order 
that  every  one  who  would  believe  in  him  might  have  enduring 
life.  Salvation,  not  judgment,  was  the  supreme  object  of 
the  Messiah's  mission.  At  the  same  time  judgment  must 
attend  men's  attitude  toward  that  mission.  Jesus  is  the  Whyjudg- 
exponent  of  the  spiritual.  He  not  only  shows  men  what  a  tends  the 
spiritual  Hfe  means  in  its  highest  expression,  but  he  also  j'esusTis) 
points  out  the  way  into  it,  and  gives  the  power  to  enter.  If 
a  man,  therefore,  turns  away  from  Jesus  and  will  have  noth- 
ing to  do  with  him,  he  is  by  his  very  conduct  under  judg- 
ment. He  has  refused  to  give  his  life  to  the  control  of  those 
principles  and  influence  for  which  the  name  of  the  only  Son 
of  God  stands.  Judgment  lies  for  him  in  the  very  nature  of 
things.  The  opposite,  of  course,  is  true  of  him  who  be- 
lieves, that  is,  who  commits  his  life  to  the  dominion  of  the 
spiritual. 

The  real  underlying  cause  of  this  judgment  attending  The  under- 
Christ's  coming  is  the  inward  disposition  of  men.     Those  of  judg- 
who  are  dehberately  Hving  sinful  lives  have  no  sympathy  (^9-31) 
with  goodness.     They  want  nothing  to  do  with  that  which 
makes  the  sinfulness  of  their  sin  evident  to  them.     Any  rev- 
elation of  their  iniquity  is  to  be  avoided.     They  hate  the 
light.     Naturally  they  would  with  determination  keep  away 
from  him  whose  life  and  word  are  the  light  of  the  world 
upon  all  matters  moral  and  spiritual.     On  the  other  hand, 
truth-loving  men,  wherever  found,  are  drawn  to  Jesus. 
They  welcome  such  light  as  he  gives,  because  what  they 

IIS 


Public  Ministry  The  Messages  of  Jesus 

have  done  has  been  what  they  have  conceived  to  be  in  ac- 
cord with  God's  will,  and  in  the  light  this  will  only  be  more 
evident. 

II 

JESUS  IN  THE  COUNTRY  DISTRICTS  OF  JUDEA  (3  '.22-36) 

I.   The  Last  Witness  of  John  the  Baptist  (3:  22-30) 

Why  Jesus  After  the  cleansing  of  the  temple,  the  various  signs 
count?y^dfs-  within  the  city,  and  the  conversation  with  Nicodemus, 
Judea°^  Jesus  left  Jerusalem,  and  spent  several  months  in  the 
country  districts  of  Judea.  His  presentation  of  himself 
in  the  metropoHs  had  met  with  httle  response,  and  it  had 
not  yet  been  made  clear  by  that  sad  indication,  the  im- 
prisonment of  the  Baptist,  that  he  should  begin  his  work 
in  Galilee.  He  still  had  his  desires  fixed  upon  the 
capital,  and  while  awaiting  his  opportunity  used  the 
time  to  make  preparation,  much  as  John  the  Baptist  him- 
self was  doing  at  Aenon  near  to  Sahm.  Jesus  was  care- 
ful not  to  confuse  his  position  with  that  of  the  Baptist, 
for  he  did  not  himself  baptize  with  water  (4:2),  but  his 
disciples  in  all  probability  preached  the  same  message  as 
John,  and  administered  the  same  rite. 

For  a  time  the  work  of  the  two,  of  Jesus  and  of  his 

forerunner,  seemed  to  run  parallel,  and  the  apparent 

rivalry  in  ser\ice  of  the  disciples  of  the  Master  caused 

the  disciples  of  John  anxiety  and  dissatisfaction.     This 

116 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John  Public  Ministry 

feeling  gave  the  Baptist  the  occasion  for  his  last  re- 
corded tribute  to  Jesus,  to  which  John  appends  some 
profound  reflections  of  his  own.  It  is  this  tribute  which 
serves  the  plati  of  John. 

After  the  events  which  happened  in  Jerusalem,  Jesus,  The  prox- 
realizing  that  the  time  had  not  yet  come  for  further  work  in  jesus  and 
the  city,  withdrew  with  his  disciples  into  the  country  dis-  Bapdst^^ 
tricts  of  Judea,  where  he  spent  some  time  preaching  about  (22-24) 
the  Kingdom,  while  his  disciples  administered  the  rite  of 
baptism.     John  the  Baptist  at  the  same  time  was  baptizing 
at  a  place  called  Aenon,i  where  there  was  a  goodly  supply  of 
water,  and  to  which  the  people  kept  coming  from  all  about 
to  receive  baptism.     From  the  account  in  the  Synoptics  it 
would  appear  (Mk.  i:  14;  Matt.  4:  12)  that  John  was  im- 
prisoned immediately  after  the  Temptation.     To  correct 
this  impression,  the  evangelist  says  that  John  had  not  yet 
been  cast  into  prison. 

It  is  fair  to  suppose  that,  unhindered  by  the  restraints  of 
the  hierarchy  in  the  capital,  large  numbers  came  to  Jesus 

^  The  identification  of  Aenon  is  not  yet  sure.  The  allusion  to  what  was 
done  beyond  the  Jordan  (26)  shows  that  the  place  was  in  western  Palestine. 
Much  can  be  said  in  favor  of  the  springs  at  the  head  of  the  Wady  Farah. 
With  this  identification  some  light  is  thrown  upon  the  Samaritan  incident  of 
the  next  chapter,  for  the  scene  of  the  Baptist's  activity  was  then  not  far  from 
Shechem.  Weiss  places  its  scene  on  the  border  of  Galilee,  along  the  Jordan; 
Furrer  identifies  it  with  the  springs  of  Ain-Fara,  about  two  hours  distant 
from  Jerusalem.  It  is  to  be  noted  that  the  Semitic  name  indicates  local 
knowledge. 

117 


Public  Ministry  The  Messages  of  Jesus 

and  to  his  disciples  to  be  baptized.     When  the  news  of  this 
great  gathering  reached  the  circle  about  John,  brought  per- 
haps by  the  Jew  who  argued  with  the  Baptist's  disciples,  a 
discussion  arose  as  to  the  respective  value  of  the  two  bap- 
The  jeai-      tisms.     Indeed,  it  was  difficult  for  John's  disciples  to  under- 
disapies  o^f  Stand  why  Jesus  entered  at  all  into  competition  with  their 
Bapdsf^      master.     They  came  to  John  with  their  perplexity.     "Rab- 
(25, 26)        i3j^>»  ^]^gy  gg^j^^  <<jjg  ^]^Q  ^yg^g  ^j^-jj  y^y  beyond  the  Jordan, 

and  to  whom  you  bore  witness,  has  himself  taken  up  the 
work  of  baptizing,  and  the  people  are  all  flocking  to  him. 
Is  it  fair  that  one  whom  you  by  your  testimony  introduced 
to  public  attention  should  set  up  a  rival  work  ?"  John's  an- 
swer, which  at  once  and  completely  dismisses  all  thought  of 
rivalry,  is  the  objective  point  of  this  record. 

2.  John's  Last  Witness  to  Jesus  (3:27-30) 

A  joyful  recognition  of  the  Master's  supremacy  and 
enlarging  influence  (29  e,  30). 
Joyjul,  since  (a)  The  positions  of  all  men  in  honor- 
able service  are  given  them  by 
God.      That  fact  in  itself  car- 
ries high  honor  with  it  (27). 
(b)  He  had  always  considered  him- 
self as  the  friend  of  the  bride- 
groom,   who   can  only  rejoice 
at  the  bridegroom's  voice. 
118 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John   Public  Ministry- 
There  can  be  no  question  of  rivalry  when  you  once  clearly  An  honor  to 
understand  that  every  position,  every  honor,  every  success  in  of  Go"in'^ 
the  service  of  God  is  the  gift  of  heaven.     Whether  one  shall  fty^(27-29) 
be  great  or  small  so  long  as  he  is  faithful,  makes,  therefore, 
little  difference.     It  is  an  honor  to  be  a  servant  in  any  capac- 
ity.    And  you  yourselves  will  bear  me  witness  that  I  dis- 
tinctly have  said  that  I  am  not  the  Messiah.     I  am  simply 
the  one  sent  to  be  his  herald.     That  is  the  honor  given  me 
from  heaven;  it  is  sufficient. 

Or  to  take  another  figure  familiar  to  you  all  (Isa.  54:  5;  John  the 
Hos.  2 :  18),  I  am  the  bridegroom's  friend,  not  the  bride-  humility 
groom.     It  is  to  the  bridegroom  that  the  bride  belongs.  ^^°^ 
When,  therefore,  I  hear  the  bridegroom's  voice  and  see  him 
welcomed  by  an  ever-increasing  multitude  who  constitute 
his  bride,  shall  I  not  rejoice?     This  success  over  which  you 
are  troubled  is  really  the  completion  of  my  joy.     In  the  very 
nature  of  things  I  must  become  less  and  less  important,  and 
he  more  and  more  so,  as  he  becomes  known  and  under- 
stood. 

3.  Rejections  of  the  Evangelist  (3:31-36) 

Again  the  text  presents  us  with  sufficient  reasons  for  Evidence 
concluding  that  the  evangelist  is  speaking,  not  John  the  words  are  a 
Baptist.     Note  the  use  of  "  the  Son  "  (35,  36),  a  mode  of  th^e'JaSge"^ 
expression  not  likely  on  the  lips  of  the  Baptist;  the  broad,  ^^^* 
general  statements  in  verses  32,  33,  which  do  not  well 
119 


Public  Ministry  The  Messages  of  Jesus 

comport  with  the  situation  pictured  in  29 ;  and  the  close 
connection  of  thought.     To  the  thought  of  the  supe- 
riority of  Jesus  to  the  Baptist  the  wTiter  appends  his  re- 
flections upon  the  absolute  supremacy  of  Christ. 
The  section  may  be  analyzed  as  follows : 


THE   SUPREMACY  OF  THE   SON 

I.  By  reason  of  his  origin:  He  is  from  above,  and 
so  in  contrast  to  every  other  teacher  which  is 
"of  the  earth"  (31). 
II.  By  reason  of  his  teaching:  He  bears  witness  to 
what  he  has  seen  and  heard  (32). 

The  confirmation  which  faith  gives  to  the 
supreme   value  of  this  teaching  (33)  and  the 
reason  (34). 
III.  By  reason  of  his  position:  All  things  are  given 

into  his  hand  (35). 
Conclusion:  The  consequences  to  men  from  the  ac- 
ceptance or  rejection  of  one  who  is  thus  supreme  (36). 

The  teacher      John  has  emphatically  declared  the  superiority  of  Jesus 
abov?"        to  himself.     Let  me  add  that  not  only  is  he  thus  superior, 
(31-33)        but,  because  of  his  heavenly  origin,  he  is  above  all  messen- 
gers and  interpreters  of  God.    They,  being  of  earthly  origin, 
are  men  like  the  rest  of  us  in  their  whole  manner  of  being, 
120 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John  Public  Ministry 

feeling,  and  thinking.  They  can  speak  even  of  heavenly 
things  only  from  the  earthly  point  of  view  and,  therefore, 
with  the  limitations  of  merely  human  conceptions.  He  who 
is  of  heavenly  origin  and,  on  that  account,  above  all,  bears 
witness  to  that  which  he  has  immediately  seen  and  heard  in 
heaven,  that  is,  in  unshadowed  fellowship  with  God.  So  few 
of  all  the  multitudes  who  have  heard  him  or  of  him  have  re- 
ceived this  witness  that  it  seems  as  if  no  one  had  been  willing 
to  accept  it.  But  whoever  has  received  it  has,  from  his  own 
experience,  been  able  to  say  *'God  is  true,"  for  in  the  words 
of  Jesus,  God's  ambassador,  he  has  heard  the  words  of  God. 

It  was  to  this  end  that  God  gave  him  the  Spirit  without  God 
measure,  namely,  that  he  might  be  helped  and  guided  in  jesu?^nd 
teaching  men  the  words  of  the  Father,  whose  love  for  the  Ms^hand' 
Son  led  him  to  give  into  the  Son's  hand  the  execution  of  all  Jeslf/men 
the  divine  purposes  with  reference  to  the  salvation  of  men.  hence  the 

^      ^  significance 

Whoever,  therefore,  believes  in  the  Son  shall  have  enduring  of  faith  or 

IT  1  T      1  1  unbelief 

life;  whoever  disobeys  him,  refuses  to  commit  his  life  to  him  (34-36) 
for  guidance  and  power,  shall  not  see  life.     God's  unalter- 
able and  necessary  displeasure  with  that  which  is  unspiritual 
and  sinful,  abides  upon  him. 


121 


Public  Ministry  The  Messages  of  Jesus 

III 

THE   MINISTRY   IN    SAMARIA    (4:1-42) 

I.  The  Conversation  with  the  Samaritan  Woman^ 
(4:1-26) 

Jesus  About   noon    Jesus   reached   Jacob's   well.     The   tra- 

sTmarftan  dition  was  that  on  a  plot  of  ground  purchased  from  earlier 
j°^'^b°s^*  settlers,  the  patriarch  had  dug  this  well,  probably  to  avoid 
well  (i-7a)  trouble  with  his  neighbors,  and  had  afterward  given  the  pos- 
session to  Joseph.  It  was,  therefore,  a  spot  of  sacred  mem- 
ories both  to  Jew  and  Samaritan.  Located  at  the  foot  of  the 
northeastern  slope  of  Mount  Gerizim,  it  is  about  half  a 
mile  from  the  village  of  Askar  (then  called  Sychar)  and 
one  mile  eastward  from  Shechem.  Here  Jesus,  wearied  and 
thirsty,  sat  down  to  rest,  and  soon  after  a  Samaritan  woman 
came  from  the  field  to  get  a  supply  of  water.  The  disciples, 
at  least  those  of  them  who  had  with  them  the  means  for 
drawing  water,  had  gone  to  the  neighboring  town  to  buy 
food,  Jesus,  therefore,  asked  the  woman  to  give  him  a 
drink.  In  astonishment,  she  asked  in  turn  how  he,  a  Jew, 
could  so  far  forget  himself  as  to  ask  drink  from  a  Samaritan, 
and  that  too,  from  a  woman,  for,  as  the  evangehst  explains, 
the  Jews  had  little  to  do  with  the  Samaritans.  Through 
centuries,  dating  from  the  time  when  the  Samaritans  were 

1  The  opening  words  of  this  chapter  are  considered  on  page  129. 
122 


According  to  the   Gospel  of  John  Public  Ministry 

refused  a  part  in  the  rebuilding  of  the  Temple  after  the 
exile,  an  intense  feeling  of  bitterness  had  existed  between 
them  and  the  inhabitants  of  Jerusalem.     Forgetting  his  jesus's 
thirst,  Jesus  at  once  sought  to  interest  the  woman  in  him-  TpVoach- 
self  by  saying  to  her,  *'If  you  but  knew  about  the  free  gift  ("b-io) 
which  God  has  made  to  the  world,  and  who  it  is  who  is  ask- 
ing you  for  a  drink,  you,  losing  sight  of  all  distinctions  be- 
tween Jew  and  Samaritan,  would  ask  of  him  and  he  would 
give  you  living  water. "     Understanding  nothing  of  the  spir- 
itual import  of  these  words,  her  mind  dwells  only  upon 
physical  thirst  and  daily  needs,  and  so  she  rephes,  "Sir, 
thou  hast  no  vessel  to  draw  water  with,  and  this  well  is 
deep.     Where  then  will  you  get  this  living  water  of  which  Her  interest 
you  speak?     You  surely  are  not  greater,  are  you,  than  our  (riis) 
father  Jacob,  who  gave  us  this  well,  and  who  himself,  to- 
gether with  his  children,  servants  and  flocks,  drank  from  it?" 
Keeping  the  figure,  the  Master  seeks  now  to  deepen  her  in- 
terest and  bring  her  nearer  to  his  real  meaning  by  empha- 
sizing the  satisfying  and  lasting  eflFects  of  this  living  water 
^^^of  which  he  had  spoken.   Every  one  who  drinks  of  the  water 

^  of  this  well  becomes  thirsty  again.  He  has  to  come  day 
after  day  for  a  fresh  supply.  On  the  contrary,  he  who 
drinks  of  the  water  which  I  shall  give  him  shall  never  thirst. 
Indeed,  the  water  which  I  shall  give  shall  be  within  him  a 
living  spring  bubbling  up  not  only  all  through  this  life,  but 
also  in  the  endless  life  beyond.  The  contrast  which  Jesus 
all  through  had  been  drawing  between  the  intermittent,  par- 

^  123 


Public  Ministry  The  Messages  of  Jesus 

tial  satisfactions  of  a  sensuous  life  and  the  deep,  abiding 
satisfaction  of  fellowship  with  God,  was  unperceived.  The 
poor  woman  knew  nothing  of  soul-thirst.  She  had  only  a 
vague  sense  of  such  help  as  would  save  her  from  the  neces- 
sity of  coming  every  day  to  the  burdensome  duty  of  drawing 
water  from  the  well,  and  so  she  asks  for  the  water  which  will 
forever  quench  her  physical  thirst  and  relieve  her  from  its 
wearisome  demands. 
Her  con-  By  a  sharp  turn  in  the  conversation  Jesus  now  aims  to 

aroused  awaken  in  her  a  sense  of  spiritual  need.  A  miracle  of  in- 
(16-19)  gjgj^i-  jjg^^  opened  to  him  the  woman's  whole  domestic  life, 
and  he  at  once  framed  a  command  which  should  flash  upon 
her  her  guilt.  "Go,  call  thy  husband  and  come  hither." 
She  tried  to  hide  her  sin  by  an  equivocal  declaration,  "I 
have  no  husband,"  but  her  shame  became  only  more  evi- 
dent as  Jesus  interpreted  her  words.  ''Rightly  have  you 
said  that  you  have  no  husband,  for  you  have  had  five 
husbands — a  record  which  means  moral  looseness,  if  not 
actual  crime — and  now  you  are  living  with  a  man  who 
is  not  your  husband.  Your  statement  certainly  is  true." 
Awe-struck  by  this  revelation  of  her  history,  the  woman 
realized  that  she  had  to  do  with  no  ordinary  man.  "Thou 
art  a  prophet,  I  perceive,"  she  said,  and  the  acknowledg- 
ment was  tantamount  to  a  confession  of  her  sin. 
She  seeks         The  Conversation  had  become  painfully  personal,  and  bv 

to  avoid  the  r      ,.   r   1  1  •  •  1  .        ,        .,. 

personal  di-  way  of  rehcf  she  turns  to  him  with  a  question  familiar  to  every 
Jesus  (20)    Samaritan.     Her  own  confession  and  the  presence  of  this 

124 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John  Public  Ministry     - 

Jewish  prophet  gave  it  new  and  momentous  interest.    Point- 
ing to  Mount  Gerizim,  upon  whose  summit  the  Samaritans 
had  built  a  temple  after  their  rejection  by  the  Jews,  and 
where,  even  though  that  temple  had  been  destroyed  by  John 
Hyrcanus,  in  129  B.C.,  the  worship  of  her  people  had  been 
continued,  she  said,  "From  the  time  of  our  ancestors  this 
mountain  has  been  our  sacred  place  of  worship,  but  you 
Jews  declare  that  Jerusalem  is  the  place  where  man  ought 
to  worship.     Which  is  right?"     Appealing  to  the  faith 
which  he  had  awakened  Jesus  replied,  "The  time  is  not  far  Where  is 
away  when  neither  on  this  mountain  nor  on  the  Temple  hill  place  to  ^ 
in  Jerusalem  will  men  worship  the  Father.     For  the  pres-  ^n  oendm 
ent,  however,  Jerusalem  is  the  right  place.     Your  people  gaiim"?^"^" 
by  rejecting  the  messages  of  the  prophets  have  missed  the  (21,  22) 
larger,  completer  revelation  which  God  through  them  has 
given  of  himself,  hence,  relatively,  though  you  know  the 
God  of  the  law,  you  worship  in  ignorance.     You  know 
nothing  of  those  great  promises  which  have  inspired  the 
worship  of  the  Jews  by  showing  them  that  out  of  their 
midst  was  to  come  the  world's  salvation.     But  soon  even  True  wor- 
Jerusalem  will  have  lost  its  distinctive  honor,  for  the  time  Liuer^of 
is  close  at  hand,  yes,  has  already  come  (Jesus  is  referring  to  f-Ja!^^) 
himself  and  to  his  few  disciples)  when  the  true  worshippers 
of  the  Father  will  not  be  those  who  go  to  any  specific  place 
to  worship,  but  those  who  worship  him  from  the  heart,  and 
with  a  right  knowledge  of  who  and  what  he  is.     As  confirm- 
ing this,  let  me  say  that  now  and  right  here  the  Father  is 
125 


-     Public  Ministry  The  Messages  of  Jesus 

God  is         seeking  just  such  worshippers.     He  is  Spirit,  as  we  all 
^^^^  know.     He  needs  no  temple  either  here  or  in  Jerusalem. 

The  worship  which  he  requires  must  correspond  then  to  his 
nature;  it  must  be  spiritual  and  in  accordance  with  truth." 
The  Understanding  perhaps,  only  that  at  some  time,  near  at 

ho^Tnd  hand,  neither  Gerizim  nor  Jerusalem  would  figure  in  the 
/axl'tfon  ^^'^'  rehgious  Hfe  of  men,  but  unable  to  comprehend  the  pro- 
(25,  26)  found  statements  of  Jesus  regarding  true  worship,  the  per- 
plexed woman  anticipated  the  time  when  the  great  prophet 
— the  Messiah  of  Samaritan  expectation  (Deut.  18:  18) — ■ 
would  come  and  explain  to  them  all  difficulties.  **I  know 
that  he  is  coming,"  she  said  to  Jesus  in  earnest  confidence, 
**and  when  he  comes  he  will  make  known  to  us  all  things." 
Without  reserve,  for  there  were  no  political  dreams  con- 
nected with  the  Samaritan  hopes,  Jesus  declared  to  the  as- 
tonished woman,  "I,  who  am  speaking  to  you,  am  the 
Messiah." 


2.   The  Return  oj  the  Disciples  (4:27-39) 

Their  sur-         Just  at  this  juncture  the  disciples  came  back  from  Sychar. 

h"con^^*     As  they  hstened  to  him  talking  with  this  woman  their  won- 

I  w^^^^fr,*^^  derment  increased,  so  contrary  was  it  to  all  custom  for  a 

(27)  rabbi  to  speak  with  a  woman.     Astonishment,  however,  did 

not  go  so  far  as  to  lead  them  to  ask  impertinent  questions, 

such  as  "What  are  you  after?"  or  ''Why  are  you  talking 

with  her?  "     Reverence  kept  them  silent. 

126 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John  Public  Ministry 


Soon  after  their  return  the  woman,  leaving  her  water-pot  The 

sage 

woman  to 
the  towr 
(28-30) 


Standing  by  the  well,  hurried  away  with  her  heart  full  to  the  wom^n  t<  ^ 
town  to  tell  of  her  experiences.  "Come,  go  with  me,"  she  ^"^^  ^"^'^ 
exclaimed  in  her  excitement  to  a  gathering  of  men  whom 
she  first  met,  "and  see  a  man  who  has  told  me  everything 
I  ever  did;  "  adding  hopefully,  but  shyly,  "You  do  not  think 
he  can  be  the  Messiah,  do  you?"  Startled  by  the  news, 
they  went  out  of  the  city  as  fast  as  they  heard  it,  and  all 
across  the  fields  were  people  going  toward  Jesus. 

In  the  meantime  the  disciples  urged  Jesus  to  take  some  The  higher 
food.     In  the  joy  of  the  moments  just  gone  he  had  forgot-  /JJus^^d'^ 
ten  weariness,  thirst,  and  hunger.     Indeed,  he  said  virtually  ^^^^^^^^^ 
to  the  disciples,  "I  have  had  a  feast  of  which  you  have  no 
conception."     Knowing  little  of  the  conversation,  they  did 
not  understand  him,  and  questioned  one  another  as  to 
whether  any  one  had  possibly  brought  him  something  to  eat. 
Jesus,  therefore,  explains  to  them  what  he  means.     My 
food  is  that  inner  satisfaction  of  the  heart  which  results 
from  doing  the  will  of  him  who  sent  me,  and  from  accom- 
plishing what  he  gave  me  to  do.     You  recall  that  on  our 
way  hither  as  we  passed  through  the  fields  of  growing  grain, 
you  spoke  of  the  promise  of  the  harvest  yet  four  months 
distant.     Look  there  at  the  people  hurr}'ing  toward  us! 
How  like  they  are,  in  their  readiness  to  believe,  to  fields 
white  with  ripened  grain  ready  to  be  garnered!     So  like  The  Sa- 
them,  indeed,  that  at  this  very  hour  the  reaper  has  only  to  Eves? 
take  his  sickle  and  go  to  work,  that  both  the  sower  and  the  ^^^^ 
127 


Public  Ministry  The  Messages  of  Jesus 

reaper  may  rejoice  together  over  the  harvest  home.     It  is 
but  just  now  that  I  sowed  the  seed  in  the  heart  of  the  peni- 
tent woman  who  was  here  by  the  well.     Out  of  this  com- 
pany coming  to  us,  you,  as  harvesters,  can  have  immediate 
reward  in  the  ingathering  of  souls  which  shall  be  as  eternal 
The  sower    treasure  in  the  garner  of  God.     Thus  can  we  rejoice  to- 
reaper  may  gether.     This  whole  experience  is  but  an  ideal  fulfilment  of 
geffir^  ^°      the  common  saying  ' '  One  sows  and  another  reaps."    More  - 
(36,  37)        over,  what  is  happening  to-day  will  be  true  all  through  your 
ministry.     Others  will  have  toiled  and  you  will  reap  the 
benefit  of  their  work  and  suffering. 
The  out-  The  report  of  the  woman  had  served  to  awaken  faith  in 

da^s^  °  ^^°  many  in  the  city,  and  when  they  came  to  Jesus  they  invited 
(39-42T  h^"^  t^  ^t^y  ^^th  them,  which  they  did  for  two  days.  It  was 
doubtless  a  time  full  of  teaching,  for  many  more  of  the 
Samaritans  believed  on  him  because  of  what  their  own  ears 
had  heard  and  no  longer  simply  because  of  the  testimony  of 
the  woman.  Just  what  he  taught  them  we  can  only  sur- 
mise, but  it  was  full  enough  and  explicit  enough  to  make 
them  confident  that  he  was  the  Saviour  of  the  world.  ^ 

1  This  comprehensive  description  of  Jesus  occurs  in  but  one  other  place  in 
the  New  Testament  (viz. :  i  John  4:  14),  and  it  is  possible  that  it  should  be  here 
considered  a  Johannine  conception  put  into  the  mouths  of  the  Samaritans 
rather  than  their  own  confession.  They  acknowledged  Jesus  as  the  Messiah, 
and  this  then  is  John's  interpretation  of  their  acknowledgment.  The  con- 
ception seems  too  large  and  clear  for  these  people.  On  the  other  hand,  it 
must  be  remembered  that  they  did  not  have  some  of  the  prejudices  to  over- 
come which  blinded  the  Jews;  also  we  do  not  know  what  Jesus  said  and  did 
in  those  two  memorable  days. 

128 


Accordmg  to  the  Gospel  of  John  Public  Ministry 
IV 

IN    GALILEE    (4:43-54) 

I.   The  Cure  of  the  Nobleman* s  Son  (4:43-54) 

This  last  scene  of  the  second  part  of  the  Gospel  brings  Reasons 
us  again  to  Galilee.     At  the  opening  of  the  chapter  a  went  nSh 
reason  is  given  for  the  journey  to  the  north,  namely,  the  ^°  Gahiee 
suspicious  threatening  attitude  of  the  Pharisees.     Verse 
44  seems  to  give  another.     The  two  are  supplementary; 
they  give  really  opposite  sides  of  the  same  reason.     It 
was  because  of  his  popularity  (3:26)  that  Jesus  felt 
obliged  to  leave  Judea.     In  Galilee  he  would  have  no 
apprehensions  from  such  a  source,  for  there  in  his  own 
country  he  was  without  honor.     Two  considerations 
regarding  the  incident  now  before  us  must  be  kept  in 
mind. 

(1)  This  miracle  is  probably  not  identical  with  the  This  mira- 
cure  of  the  centurion's  servant  (Matt.  8:5;  Luke  7:2).  notidenti- 
The  differences  between  the  two  are  too  great  to  allow  fn  Matt.  8^5 
identification.! 

(2)  This  incident  does  not  belong  in  the  Galilean  min- 
istry, which  did  not  begin  until  after  the  imprisonment 
of  John  the  Baptist,  but  is  an  event,  happening  in  Gali- 

1  Weiss  contends  for  their  identification;  so  do  several  recent  writers  upon 
this  Gospel. 

129 


Public  Ministry 


TJie  Messages  of  Jesus 


lee  to  be  sure,  but  to  be  included  in  what  is  called  the 
early  Judean  period  of  the  Master's  ministry.  Note 
how  it  is  referred  to:  "He  came  again  to  Cana."  This 
is  the  second  miracle  which  Jesus  did  coming  out  of 
Judea  into  Galilee.  Soon  after  this  Jesus  went  back  to 
Jerusalem  to  the  feast  of  Purim,  and  after  that  returned 
to  take  up  his  Galilean  ministry. 


Jesus  goes 
to  Galilee 
and  is  sur- 
prised by 
the  recep- 
tion given 
him 
(43-45) 


Two  days  after  the  scene  at  Jacob's  well  Jesus  departed 
for  Galilee,  for  his  mission  was  really  to  his  own  people. 
He  had  left  Judea  because  his  popularity  had  drawn  upon 
him  the  suspicious  attention  of  the  Pharisees.  Two  days  of 
happy,  blessed  work  in  Samaria  had  been  enjoyed,  and  now 
with  sad  face  he  turned  toward  GaHlee.  No  popularity 
there  would  awaken  any  fear  about  him,  for  the  old  saying 
that  "A  prophet  hath  no  honor  in  his  own  country"  was 
true  in  his  experience.  Imagine  his  surprise,  therefore, 
when  the  Galileans  gave  him  a  friendly  reception.  The 
evangelist  is  careful  to  explain,  however,  that  this  reception 
was  due  to  the  fact  that  many  of  the  Galileans  had  been  in 
Jerusalem  during  the  Passover  and  had  been  witnesses 
of  his  wonderful  deeds.  Their  interest  in  him  was  not 
grounded  upon  a  secure  foundation.  This  is  apparent  in 
the  incident  which  follows,  which  occurred  in  Cana,  whither 
Jesus  went  either  because  his  family  had  settled  there,  or 
for  the  reason  that  he  was  sure  to  find  friends.  The  report 
of  the  miracles  wrought  in  Jerusalem  had  rapidly  been 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John   Public  Ministry 

spread  abroad  in  Galilee  and  so  came  to  the  ears  of  a  certain 
court  officer  in  Capernaum,  whose  son  was  dangerously  ill 
with  a  fever.     As  soon  as  the  man  knew  that  Jesus  had  re-  A  court 
turned  to  Galilee  he  determined  to  put  the  case  of  his  boy  seeks  the 
before  him.     It  was  really  the  resolve  of  a  man  in  despera-  son^ue,  47) 
tion.     He  would  try  this  wonder-worker.     Accordingly,  he 
went  up  from  Capernaum  to  Cana  and  begged  Jesus  to  re- 
turn with  him  at  once  and  heal  his  child.     At  the  moment, 
the  man's  request  seemed  to  embody  the  spirit  of  the  whole 
people,  whose  one  wish  appeared  to  be  to  make  Jesus  a 
mere  doer  of  wonders.     They  would  not  believe  his  word  as 
a  prophet.     They  must  have  from  him  signs  in  the  shape 
of  veritable  marvels.     This  painful  reflection  Jesus  utters 
in  the  officer's  presence  as  if  speaking  directly  to  him,  but 
the  man's  anxiety  was  too  deep  to  be  thus  turned  away,  and 
again  he  begged  Jesus  to  go  with  him  before  it  was  too  late 
and  his  little  one  be  dead.     Jesus  now  puts  his  faith  to  a  Jesus  puts 
real  test.     He  declines  to  go  to  Capernaum,  but  bids  the  faith  to  a 
officer  return  for  he  shall  find  his  son  living.     He  had  now  sustakis  it*^ 
only  the  word  of  Jesus  upon  which  to  rest  his  faith.     He  ^48-54) 
had  seen  no  miracle;  he  did  not  even  have  in  the  willingness 
of  Jesus  to  go  with  him  the  promise  of  a  miracle.     He  had 
only  the  declaration  "Thy  son  liveth."     This  he  accepted, 
and  started  homeward.     The  distance  from  Cana  to  Caper- 
naum is  between  twenty  and  twenty-five  miles.     Some- 
where on  the  way  the  servants  of  the  officer  met  him  and 
told  him  that  his  son  had  passed  the  crisis  and  was  doing 
131 


Public  jNIinistry 

well.  "When  did  he  begin  to  improve?"  he  asked.  "Yes- 
terday about  one  o'clock  the  fever  left  him,"  they  replied, 
and  then  the  man  knew  that  the  word  of  Jesus  spoken  at  that 
very  hour  was  the  word  of  power  which  had  saved  his  child. 
Not  only  he,  but  all  his  household,  whose  anxiety  and  sor- 
row had  thus  been  turned  into  joy,  believed  in  the  divine 
claims  of  Jesus. 


132 


THE   PUBLIC   MINISTRY   OF   JESUS 

EVENTS  SELEQTED  TO  SHOW  THAT  SELF-REVELATION 
OF  THE  MESSIAH  WHICH  WAS  MADE  IN  THE 
PRESENCE  OF  UNBELIEF  AND  OPPOSITION,  BOTH 
IN   GALILEE   AND   JERUSALEM 


THE   PUBLIC   MINISTRY   OF   JESUS 

I 

THE   MIRACLE   AT    THE    POOL   OF   BETHESDA    (5:1-47) 

I.  Introductory  (5:1) 

In  all  discussions  upon  the  chronology  of  the  Lord's  The  signifi- 
lif e  John  5 :  1  occupies  a  very  important  place,  and  va-  john  5 :  i  in 
rious  conclusions  have  been  reached  regarding  it.  Near-  ogy  oHhT 
ly  every  feast  in  the  Jewish  calendar  has  been  selected  jg^us*"^^  °^ 
by  different  commentators  as  the  one  indicated — the 
Passover,  Pentecost,  Tabernacles,  or  Purim.      Which- 
ever is  right  (and  we  are  inclined  to  decide  for  Purim), 
the  scenes  at  this  feast  closed  the  early  Judean  ministry, 
a  ministry  crowded  full  of  Messianic  revelations,  but 
attended  by  comparatively  small  results.     This  fifth 
chapter  is  significant  for  John  not  only  because  of  the 
miracles,  but  more  especially  on  account  of  the  words 
of  Jesus.     They  are  rich  in  Messianic  claims.     This  Import  of 
chapter  also  marks  the  beginning  of  the  conflict  through  as^a  who^e* 
which  "unfaith  "develops;  the  Messiahship  of  Jesus 
also  stands  out  in  teachings  which  are  unique  and  ex- 
alted. 

135 


Public  Ministry  The  Messages  of  Jesus 


2.  Healing  of  the  Cripple  (5:2-16) 

The  pool  of      In  the  course  of  time  came  a  feast  of  the  Jews,  and  Jesus 
and  its  com-  went  up  to  Jerusalem.     There  was  at  that  time  in  the  north- 
EfiM2,  3)^^    eastern  part  of  the  city,  not  far  from  the  Temple  inclosure 
and  near  the  sheep-gate  or  market,  an  intermittent  thermal 
spring  about  which  a  pentagonal  peristyle  had  been  built 
and  which  was  called  in  Aramaic  ''House  of  Mercy"  (Be- 
thesda).     In  this  covered  space  around  the  pool  might  be 
seen  at  any  time  a  company  of  poor,  suffering  folk — blind, 
lame,  palsied — waiting  and  watching  for  an  opportunity  to 
get  into  the  water  while  it  was  bubbling  up  from  beneath,  as, 
at  that  time,  it  was  thought  to  have  its  greatest  efficacy. 
The  es-        Among  the  waiting  invalids  was  one  who  for  thirty-eight 
?aiid  who     years  had  been  a  sufferer.     From  talking  with  the  man 
the^ity^of     himself  Jesus  doubtless  learned  this  fact,  and  it  made  a 
Jesus  (5-7)   strong  appeal  to-  his  compassion.     In  this  appeal  he  recog- 
nized God's  direction  to  act.     "Would  you  like  to  be 
well?"  he  asked.     The  man  could  readily  see  that  Jesus 
was  not  mocking  him,  and  therefore  the  very  inquiry  was 
suggestive  of  hope  and  help.     "It  is  not  a  question  of  de- 
sire, sir,"  he  replied,  "for  I  should  like  to  be  well;  it  is 
rather  one  of  power  and  opportunity.     I  am  powerless,  as 
you  see,  and  when  the  spring  gushes  up  I  have  no  one  to 
plunge  me  into  the  healing  waters.     Another  gets  ahead  of 
me,  because  I  am  so  helpless  and  slow."     Jesus  then  said  to 
136 


According  to  the   Gospel  of  John  Public  Ministry 

him,  "Get  up,  take  your  mat  and  walk."     With  the  com-  Hismirac- 
mand  was  given  the  power  for  its  execution.     The  man  took  "8?9) 
up  the  piece  of  carpet  upon  which  he  had  been  lying  and 
walked  away.     This  all  happened  on  the  Sabbath. 

The  scene  now  shifts  from  the  pool  to  a  street  in  the  city.  The  happy 
As  the  happy  man  is  going  along  carrying  his  mat  under  fronted  by 
his  arm,  he  is  seen  by  some  of  the  rabbis,  who  confront  who'^charge 
him  with  his  violation  of  the  law  in  carrying  any  burden  on  JjJJfadng 
the  Sabbath.     It  is  to  be  noted  that  the  Scribes  and  Phari-  J^jJ^^) 
sees  were  especially  devoted  to  the  discussion  of  two  sub- 
jects: "purification"  and  "the  Sabbath."     In  each  case 
they  had  so  amplified  the  law  by  their  refinements  in  inter- 
pretation as  to  make  it  an  almost  intolerable  burden;  for 
example,  they  distinguished  thirty  kinds  of  work  forbidden 
by  the  fourth  commandment.     The  law  indeed  stands  in 
Exodus  23: 12  and  Jeremiah  17:  21,  "Take  heed  to  your-  The  Jewish 
selves  and  bear  no  burden  on  the  Sabbath  day,"  but  its  in-  sabbath 
tent  was  merciful  in  seeking  to  prevent  wearying  labor  on 
the  day  of  rest.    That  intent  had  been  completely  "hedged 
in"  by  the  literahstic  interpretations  built  up  around  it 
by  the    Scribes,   so   that    their    law    read    in    this  way: 
"Whosoever  on  the  Sabbath  bringeth  anything  in  or  taketh 
anything  out  from  a  public  place  to  a  private  one,  if  he  hath 
done  this  inadvertently  he  shall  sacrifice  for  his  sin;  but  if 
wilfully  he  shall  be  cut  ofif  and  be  stoned."     Jesus  in  every 
case,  as   here,  ignored   these   traditional   interpretations. 
Naturally  the  "Doctors"  were  incensed.     In  response  to  the 

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Public  Ministry  TJie  Messages  of  Jesus 

charge  that  he  was  violating  the  Sabbath,  the  man  told 
them  that  the  one  who  had  made  him  well — certainly  an 
adequate  authority  to  his  mind — had  told  him  to  do  just 
what  he  was  then  doing.     ''Who  is  the  fellow  who  com- 
manded you  to  carry  your  mat  through  the  city  streets  on 
this  holy  day?"  they  contemptuously  asked.     "I  do  not 
know,"  was  the  man's  reply.     It  seems  that  Jesus,  to  avoid 
a  scene,  had  quietly  slipped  out  of  the  crowd  which  had 
gathered  about  the  place,  so  the  man  had  no  further  oppor- 
tunity of  speaking  with  him. 
Jesus  meets      Shortly  after  this  Jesus  was  in  the  Temple,  and  there  he 
man  in  the    found  the  man,  engaged  in  all  probability  in  offering  a 
emp  eu4;  thanksgiving  for  his  cure.     From  the  word  now  spoken  to 
him,  "Sin  no  longer,"  we  learn  that  his  wearisome  illness 
was  due  to  sinful  habits  against  which  Jesus  earnestly 
warned  him,  lest,  indulged  in  again,  they  bring  him  to  that 
spiritual  death  which  is  worse  than  physical  disease.     In 
this  conversation  the  man  learned  Jesus's  name  and,  as 
afterward  he  went  to  the  authorities  to  justify  himself  for 
The  man      his  offence  against  the  Sabbath,  he  told  them  who  had 
curedhim     healed  him.     This  he  did  from  no  malicious  intent,  but 
rather  with  the  conviction  that  one  who  could  do  such  a 
wonderful  deed  had  a  right  to  command  him  to  violate  the 
sacred  day. 

The  authorities  took  no  such  view  of  the  case,  but  began 
a  determined  persistent  persecution  of  Jesus  because  of  his 
disregard  of  their  Sabbath  regulations. 
1.^.8 


According  to  the   Gospel  of  J 0/171  Public  Ministry 

The  defence  with  which  he  met  this  persecution  is  jesus's  de- 
summed  up  in  the  words,  "My  Father  worketh  hitherto,  himself  for 
and  I  work."     Jesus  agreed  with  the  authorities  in  holding  5he  man°on 
that    the    scriptural    command    regarding    the    Sabbath  Jj^^f^)^^^'^ 
grounded  itself  upon  the  Sabbath  rest  of  God  (see  Ex. 
20: 11),  but  he  completely  repudiated  their  conception  of 
that  rest.     Rightly  understood,  it  did  not  and  should  not 
exclude  the  preserving,  protecting,  healing  energy  of  God. 
It  was  consistent  with  a  ceaseless  activity  of  wisdom  and 
power,  of  righteousness  and  mercy.     The  cure  of  this  help- 
less sufferer  was  but  a  manifestation  of  this  mercy. 

*'My  Father  worketh  hitherto,"  and  I,  his  Son,  make  his 
working  the  rule  of  my  activity.  When,  as  long  as,  and 
since,  he  works,  I  work.  Instead  of  being  a  defence  for  his 
Sabbath  conduct,  these  words  added  a  new  cause  for  hostil- 
ity. In  the  ears  of  his  persecutors  they  were  pure  blas- 
phemy, since  thereby  he  made  peculiar  claim  to  an  especial 
relationship  to  God  and  to  an  equality  of  right  of  freedom  in 
doing.     A  justification  of  this  claim  follows. 

3.   The  Teaching  Following  the  Miracle  (5:17-47) 

There  are  two  possible  views  of  the  words  given  in  Two  possi- 
this  chapter  in  verses  17-47.     (1)  They  may  be  con-  the  words  ° 
sidered  as  a  single  address  of  Jesus  based  upon  the  mir-  J^J^J^^^ 
acle  which  he  had  just  performed.     (2)  They  may  be 
looked  upon  as  the  substance  of  several  addresses  upon 

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The  Messages  of  Jesus 


Johannine 
form,  but 
truth  sub- 
stantially 
from  Jesus 


the  Sabbath  question  fused  together  in  the  memory  of  the 
writer  and  connected  with  this  typical  instance  of  the 
cure  at  Bethesda.  The  second  view,  which  seems  pref- 
erable, is  supported  by  the  following  considerations: 
(a)  The  statement  in  verse  15  "because  he  was  doing 
these  things  on  the  Sabbath,"  that  is,  "because  he  was 
accustomed  to  do  these  things  on  the  Sabbath."  The 
address  fits  this  broader  statement.  According  to  verse 
10,  it  is  the  carrying  of  the  pallet  that  stands  out  as  un- 
lawful. The  reply  of  Jesus  touches  a  much  larger  viola- 
tion than  this.  He  is  justifying  a  course  of  conduct.  (6) 
The  address  itself  gives  no  hint  of  its  historical  setting. 
To  be  sure,  the  cure  on  the  Sabbath  is  an  introduction 
to  it,  but  it  is  used  simply  as  a  typical  instance,  and  there- 
fore nothing  is  said  about  the  effect  of  the  discourse.  It 
ends,  as  has  been  said  of  it,  "in  the  air,"  Would  this  be 
the  case  if  this  were  a  specific  address  directed  simply 
to  this  specific  instance.'*  (c)  A  notable  intricacy  of 
thought:  verses  19,  20  are  an  example  of  this.  This  is  a 
mark  of  Johannine  form.  Indeed,  the  whole  section,  if 
considered  from  the  second  point  of  view,  gives  opportu- 
nity for  studying  this  very  Johannine  form.  The  ques- 
tion may  be  justly  asked.  How  do  we  know  that  we  have 
the  substance  of  the  words  of  Jesus  ?  Two  reasons  may 
be  given  in  reply:  (l)  The  character  of  the  utterances. 
They  are  not  after  the  fashion  of  human  imagination. 
(2)  The  support  given  to  their  genuineness  by  like  state- 
140 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John  Public  Ministry 

ments  of  Jesus  in  the  Synoptics.  Compare  verses  17, 18 
with  Mark  2:27,  28;  19,  20  with  Matthew  11 :  27  (a  pas- 
sage rising  to  the  height  of  the  Johannine  Christology) ; 
21-24  with  Matthew  10:  40,  11:  27,  28:  18;  25-29  with 
Matthew  25:46;  30  with  Matthew  26:39;  37-40  with 
Luke  24:26,27,  44-46;  41-44  with  Matthew  13:15, 
18:  1-4;  45-47  with  Luke  16:  29-31.  The  whole  sec- 
tion may  be  divided  into  parts,  17-30,  31-47.  In  order 
to  get  a  comprehensive  view  of  the  thought,  an  analysis 
for  each  part  is  given.  Verse  17  gives  the  theme  which 
verses  19-30  sustain. 


GENERAL    OUTLINE    OF   VERSES   19-30 

Theme:    The  Absolute  and  Constant  Fidelity  of  the 
Son's  Working  to  the  Father's  (17). 
I.  The  Son  does  nothing  of  his  own  initiative  (19). 
II.  The  Son  does  whatever  the  Father  does  (19  b) 
(and  this  is  possible)  since 
(a)  The  Father  in  his  love  for  the  Son  shows 
to  him  all  the    things  which  he,  the 
Father,  does  (20  a). 
(6)  The  Father  will  include  in  his  showing 
greater  works  than  have  as  yet  been 
shown  (20  b)  e.g. 
Quickening  (21)  Spiritual  Resurrection 
24  a,  c,  25. 

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Public  Ministry  The  Messages  of  Jesus 


(26)  Bodily  Resurrection 

28,  29  a. 
Judgment     (22)  Present  Judgment 
42  b. 

(27)  Final  Judgment  29  b. 
The  purpose  of  (a)  and  (6) :    That  all  may 

honor  the  Son  as  they  honor  the  Father 
(23). 


Self  is  never      I  have  Said  to  you  that  I  constantly  and  absolutely  make 
polnt^of The  my  Father's  activity  the  reason  and  measure  of  my  activity. 
Jesus^ig)     That  means  that  I  do  nothing,  veritably  nothing,  to  meet 
my  own  needs  or  to  gratify  my  own  ambitions.     Self  is 
never  the  starting-point  of  my  action,     I  do  nothing  of  my- 
self; only  that  which  I  see  the  Father  doing.     Self-origina- 
ting or  self-furthering  action  is  completely  shut  out,  for  the 
things,  whatsoever  they  may  be  (whether  Sabbath  viola- 
God  reveals  tions,  or  not),  which  the  Father  is  doing,  I  do  likewise.    My 
iTeSrdo*  work  is  both  coincident  and  coextensive  with  his;  and  it  is 
^^°^^  so  not  simply  because  of  a  clear  apprehension  on  my  part  of 

the  spiritual  meaning  and  purposes  of  my  mission,  but  also 
because  of  the  revelation  of  what  he  is  doing  and  would 
have  me  do,  which  he  constantly  gives  me  through  the 
providences  in  which  I  am  placed  and  the  appeals  made  to 
me.  His  constant  revelation  is  proof  of  his  love.  You 
have  had  experience  as  to  how  I  was  led  to  perform  these 
Sabbath  cures.  The  time  is  coming  when  he  will  lead  me 
142 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John  Public  Ministry 

to  the  doing  of  greater  deeds  than  these,  that  even  you,  who 
question  my  authority  and  are  bhnd  to  my  sonship,  may 
marvel.     These  greater  things  are  no  less  than  "quicken-  They  shall 
ing"  and  "judgment."     Are  you  not  accustomed  to  pray,  grea\er 
"Thou,  O  Lord,  art  mighty;  thou  quick enest  the  dead;  even  qikk- 
thou  art  strong  to  save;  thou  sustainest  the  living  by  thy  ^"j^^gn^ 
mercy;  thou  quick  enest  the  dead  by  thy  great  compassion;  (20b,  21) 
thou  makest  good  thy  faithfulness  to  them  that  sleep  in  the 
dust;  thou  art  faithful  to  quicken  the  dead.     Blessed  art 
thou,  O  Lord,  who  quickenest  the  dead"?     Just  as  the 
Father  has  power  to  raise  up  the  dead  and  quicken  them,  so 
I,  his  Son,  under  his  direction  can  exercise  this  same  quick- 
ening power  upon  whomsoever  I  will,  whether  Jew  or  Gen- 
tile.    The  one  condition  to  my  exercising  it  is  willingness 
to  receive  it  (illustrated  in  all  these  Sabbath  cures).  Hence  judgment 
the  awful  prerogative  of  judgment  attends  that  of  quicken-  qufckening 
ing.     When  the  Father  sent  me  to  be  the  means  of  eternal  ^^^^ 
life  to  whomsoever  would  believe,  he,  by  that  very  sending, 
made  judgment  depend  upon  men's  attitude  toward  me. 
He  gave  judgment  as  to  all  spiritual  issues  to  the  Son.     Men 
decide  their  destinies  in  reference  to  the  Son  (rather  than  in 
reference  to  the  Father).     The  Father  judges  no  one  except 
through  the  Son.     The  purpose  of  all  this  is  clearly  evi-  All  this  is 
dent :  it  is  that  men  should  honor  the  Son  as  they  honor  the  shouid^° 
Father,  and  whoever  does  not  honor  the  Son,  whose  work  is  son°as\^hey 
identical  with  that  of  the  Father  and  whose  prerogatives  are  p^/^'^  /    -v 
quickening  and  judging,  dishonors  the  Father  who  sent  him. 

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Public  Ministry  The  Messages  of  Jesus 

Who  it  is  However  incredible  all  this  may  seem  to  you,  I  cannot 

during^fifT   Say  to  you  too  earnestly  and  emphatically  that  whosoever 
^'^'^'  hears  my  word  with  the  inner  ear  and  believes  on  him  who 

sent  me,  that  is,  accepts  my  message  as  the  message  of  God, 
has  enduring  Hfe  and  is  exempt  from  judgment,  yes,  has 
already  passed  from  that  state  of  separation  from  God 
which  is  spiritual  death  into  one  of  fellowship  with  him 
The  proph-  which  is  life.  And  let  me  solemnly  assure  you  that  the  time 
spiritual  is  coming,  indeed,  is  already  here,  when  those  who  are 
(25-2^^7)^  ^°°  spiritually  dead  shall  be  aroused  from  their  indifference  by 
the  preaching  of  the  Son  of  God,  calling  them  to  repent  of 
their  sins  and  believe  on  him,  and  those  who  shall  have 
listened  and  responded  to  that  preaching  shall  spiritually 
live.  They  shall  receive  life  from  me,  the  Son,  to  whom  the 
Father  gave  it  when  I  entered  upon  my  mission,  in  order 
that  as  he  himself  possesses  it  in  uninterrupted  fulness,  so 
should  I,  to  give  it  to  whomsoever  I  can.  When  I  say 
*'can"  the  implication  of  judgment  goes  with  the  word,  for 
life  is  given  only  to  those  who  will  accept  it  and,  therefore, 
authority  has  been  given  to  me  by  the  Father  to  declare 
judgment;  judgment  has  been  inevitably  associated  with 
my  mission,  because  as  a  man  I  present  spiritual  life,  the 
kingdom  of  heaven  to  men  in  a  form  which  they  can  under- 
stand. It  is  not  a  theory,  nor  an  abstraction  in  any  form, 
but  a  life,  which  seeing,  they  must  either  choose  or  reject 
and  thus  judge  themselves. 

You  wonder  at  me  for  making  such  claims.     Save  your 
144 


(30) 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  JoJin  Public  Ministry 

wonderment  for  that  hour  which  is  on  its  way,  when  this  Prophecy  of 
voice  which  is  now  sounding  in  your  ears  shall  call  all  the  resurrection 
dead  from  their  graves,  and  they  shall  come  forth  in  a  visible       ' 
resurrection  whose  character  shall  be  in  accord  with  their 
deeds.     Those  who  have  wrought  good  shall  enter  into  and 
realize  the  fulness  of  the  heavenly  life;  those  who  have  done 
evil  shall  understand  the  full  meaning  of  condemnation. 

Once  more  let  me  emphasize  the  word  with  which  I  Neither  his 

1  <-.ir.  1  •  •    .      e  .'  T      activity  nor 

began.     Self  is  never  the  startmg-pomt  of  my  action,     in  his  judg- 

this  solemn  matter  of  judging  I  do  not  act  "of  myself."     It  MmseTf "° 

is  to  gratify  no  personal  bias,  nor  to  express  any  personal 

feeling.     It  is  a  judgment  based  upon  a  clear  perception  of 

what  essential  righteousness  requires.     God  is  holy  as  well 

as  loving,  and  his  holiness  is  just.     My  judgment  is  made 

in  the  light  of  these  conceptions.     As  I  hear,  I  judge,  and 

just  as  my  action  is  not  "of  myself,"  because  I  unceasingly 

cooperate  with  the  Father,  so  my  judgment  is  just  because 

I  seek  to  do  not  my  own  will,  but  the  holy,  just  will  of  the 

Father. 

GENERAL  OUTLINE   OF  VERSES  31-47 

Theme:   The  Witness  to  the  Son. 

I.  In  itself  it  is  complete  and  clear,  since 

(a)  It  is  not  a  mere  self-witness,  but  is  that 
of  another  whose  witness  is  true 
(31,  32). 

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Public  Ministry  The  Messages  of  Jesus 

1 

(6)  It  is  not  from  man  (34),  even  though  the 
testimony  of  John  the  Baptist  was 
vahd  and  the  Jews  welcomed  him  for 
a  season  (33  a,  35) ; 
but  since 

(a)  It  is  in  the  works  which  the  Father  gave 
for  accomplishment  (36) ; 

(6)  It  is  in  the  Scriptures  (37-40). 

II.  To  the  Jews  it  is  inadequate  and  futile,  since 
(a)  They  rejected  the  signs. 
(6)  They  had  neither  ear  nor  eye  for  the 
personal    revelations    of    the    Father 
(37). 
(c)  They  w^ere  guilty  of  a  blind  bibholatry 
(38-40). 
The  causes  of  (a),  (6),  (c)  (under  II)  are: 
(o)  In  their  lack  of  the  love  of  God  in  their 
hearts  (shown  in  the  fact  of  verse  43). 
(6)  In  their  purely  selfish  desires  (44). 
The  perilous  issue  of  (a),  (6),  (c):  Even  Moses 
w^hom   they   trusted  would    condemn  them 
(45);  the  reason  for  this  (46). 

Importance      The  question  of  authority  was  always  one  of  vital  impor- 

of  "author-  .      ^  ,  ^         ,    .  •      i-  i    •      ,i  •  ^^  e 

ity  "  in         tance  m  Jerusalem.     Involvmg,  as  it  did,  in  this  matter  of 
Jerusalem     ^^^^^  ^^  ^^  Sabbath,  the  right  to  transgress  Sabbath  regu- 

146 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John  Public  Ministry 

lations,  it  became  acute.  Jesus  had  met  it  by  declaring 
that  his  unique  relation  to  the  Father  gave  him  both  the  rea- 
son and  right  to  do  what  he  had  done,  and  that  that  same 
relationship  gave  him  authority  to  quicken  and  judge. 
"This  is  all,  however,"  replied  his  opponents,  ''but  your 
own  affirmation;  what  witness  have  you  of  its  truthful- 
ness? Such  testimony  as  this  to  yourself  must  be  sustained 
and  sanctioned."     Tesus  recognizing,  in  this  instance  (see  Jesus  meets 

N     ,  .      .    ,        r  ,  ,  ,  ,  the  demand 

8:  14)  the  prmciple  of  general  law  that  no  one  can  hear  tes-  that  he  be 
timony  in  his  own  cause  (verse  31),  proceeded  to  give  them  bTwU-^ 
the  required  sanction.     He  began  with  the  witness  of  God  ^3^1^  32) 
himself,  saying,  "There  is  another  who  beareth  witness  con- 
cerning me,  and  I  know  that  his  testimony  is  true."     I  am 
not  referring  to  John  the  Baptist.     You  sent  a  deputation  to 
him,  and  in  all  that  he  said  he  gave  an  abiding  witness  to  the 
truth.     But  I  look  to  no  man,  even  though  he  be  a  prophet, 
for  the  witness  to  such  a  reality  as  my  Sonship  and  its  pre- 
rogatives.    Howbeit,  I  call  your  attention  to  all  that  John 
said,  and  urge  its  truthfulness  upon  you  that  you  may  be 
brought  into  the  way  of  salvation.     He  was  a  burning  and  Earnest, 
shining  lamp,  and,  like  children,  you  rejoiced  for  a  while  in  true  as  Was 
the  brilliant  light.     Your  pride  and  joy  in  hearing  again  the  of  john"fhe 
voice  of  a  prophet  caused  you  to  assemble  in  great  numbers  appalls  to^ 
to  hear  him  preach;  but  only  for  a  season.     The  call  to  ^-^^^l^^^^' 
repentance  broke  the  spell  and  nothing  was  done  to  save  him  ness  (33- 
at  last  from  prison  and  death.     Earnest,  faithful,  true  as 
was  John's  witness,  I  have  a  witness  which  is  more  conclu- 
147 


Public  Ministry 


The  Messages  of  Jesus 


Besides  the 
witness  of 
his  spiritual 
ministries  is 
the  Father's 
witness  in 
Scripture 
(36b-38) 


The  sad 
mistaken 
bibliola- 
try  of  the 
Jews 
(39.  40) 


sive,  and  it  lies  in  all  the  spiritual  ministries,  whether  natural 
or  supernatural,  which  I  am  performing  and  which  were 
given  to  me  by  the  Father  to  accomplish.  The  very  char- 
acter of  these  ministries,  revealing  as  they  do  love,  mercy, 
and  a  spiritual  purpose,  is  testimony  to  the  fact  that  the 
Father  has  sent  me.  Moreover,  besides  the  witness  of  these 
ministries  is  the  Father's  own  witness  in  the  Scripture.  He 
has  never  come  into  your  midst  and  by  visible  form  or  by 
sensible  sound  testified  of  himself,  as  I  am  now  testifying. 
"His  voice  you  have  never  heard;  his  form  you  have  never 
seen."  He  has,  however,  through  the  prophets  given  you 
his  word,  and  you  have  failed  to  get  any  vital,  abiding  hold 
upon  it,  as  is  evident  from  your  unwillingness  to  accept  him 
whom  the  Father  has  sent  and  about  whom  His  word 
speaks  in  promise  and  prophecy.  You  search  the  Scrip- 
tures, counting  the  letters,  trying  to  determine  this  or  that 
fact  about  their  order,  place,  or  combination,  working  out 
curious  interpretations,  because  you  imagine  that  by  such 
kind  of  study  and  diligence  you  shall  find  eternal  life.  ^  All 
through  these  same  Scriptures  is  the  divine  message  about 
him  who  shall  bring  life  and  salvation  to  Israel  and  the 
world — in  a  word,  the  divine  message  about  me.  No  sad- 
der evidence  of  your  misdirected,  fruitless  study  can  be  given 
than  the  fact  that  ye  will  not  come  to  me,  to  whom  those 


1  Hillel's  view  of  Scripture  may  be  expressed  in  the  saying,  "He  who  has 
gotten  to  himself  words  of  the  law  has  gotten  to  himself  the  life  of  the  world 
to  come."     {Aholh\\,'&). 

148 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John  Public  Ministry 

Scriptures  point,  in  order  that  ye  may  have  life.     Your 
bibliolatry  issues  in  real  unbelief. 

Lest  you  may  think  that  because  of  ofiFended  dignity  or  jesus  does 
disappointed  vanity  I  am  condemning  you,  and  that,  after  honor"om 
all,  I  am  eager  for  your  approval  and  praise,  let  me  say  to  ^^^  ^^'^^ 
you  that  I  do  not  receive  honor  from  men.     I  have  no  am- 
bition for  earthly  honors.     Nay,  the  reason  of  my  condem- 
nation is  in  the  fact,  which  I  have  discovered,  as  I  have 
studied  you  and  come  to  know  you,  that  you  have  not  a  real 
love  for  God  in  your  hearts.     Such  love  would  have  made 
the  Scriptures  vital  to  you  and  enabled  you  to  know  God. 
Alas!     That  you  possess  nothing  of  it,  is  clear  from  your 
unwillingness  to  receive  me  who  am  come  at  the  Father's 
bidding  and  as  his  representative.     If  another  should  come  Their  de- 
in  his  own  name,  seeking  honor  among  men  and  making  hono^from 
promises  in  terms  of  earthly  glory,  you  would  understand  most  Reason 
him  and  receive  him.^    Faith  in  me  is  simply  an  impossi-  ber^Pn^^" 
bility  to  those  who  are  always  solicitous  about  earthly  pre-  Y^_ 
ferment,  substituting  for  the  approval  of  the  only  God,  the 
flattering  judgment,  the  partisan  homage,  or  the  ignorant 
applause  of  their  fellow-men. 

Thus  I  have  opened  to  you  the  very  inmost  reason  of  He  would 
your  unbelief,  but  do  not  think  that,  therefore,  I  shall  ac-  ?hemr"^^ 
cuse  you  before  the  Father.     There  is  no  need  for  me  to  do  ^S  would" 

do  that (45) 
1  This  statement  had  historical  verification  once  and  again.     History  gives 
an  account  of  sixty-four  false  Messiahs  who  all  succeeded  by  bold  assumption 
and  large  promises  in  winning  a  following  among  the  Jews. 

149 


Public  Ministry  The  Messages  of  Jesus 

that.  Your  accuser  is  already  before  the  Father — Moses, 
the  very  one  in  whom  your  hope  has  been  placed,  and  whose 
law  you  have  accused  me  of  transgressing.  He  is  there,  and 
he  will  raise  his  voice  against  you.  You  ask  me  how  that 
can  be?  It  results  from  the  relation  of  faith  in  Moses  to 
Their  faith  in  me.     Had  you  intelligently,  earnestly  beUeved  him, 

understand-  you  would  have  believed  me.  Disbelief  in  me  is  disbelief 
Scriptures  i^^  him — disbelief  in  the  record  of  the  promises  to  the  patri- 
mfsunder-  S-^chs,  in  the  typcs  of  the  deliverance  from  Egypt,  in  the 
him*?' 6^  °^  symbolic  institutions  of  the  law,  in  the  promise  of  a  prophet 
47)  like  to  himself,  for  it  was  of  me  he  wrote.     If  then  you  have 

missed  the  real  meaning  of  what  he  has  written,  and  by  the 
Scriptures  have  not  come  to  a  real  true  faith  in  God  and  to 
a  spiritual  understanding  of  his  promises,  how  can  it  be  ex- 
pected that  you  will  believe  my  words? 


II 

THE   FEEDING    OF   THE    FIVE    THOUSAND    (6:1-59) 

I.  Introductory 

The  critical      The  cvcnt  of  the  feeding  of  the  five  thousand  with  its 

of  this'^  ^^      subsequent  teaching  brings  us  to  the  critical  point  of  all 

Galilee^        that  ministry  of  preaching  and  healing  which  is  marked 

Galilean;  to  the  point  where  half -faith  is   transformed 

into  full  unbelief.     Again  it  is  true  that  it  is  not  so  much 

150 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John  Public  Ministry 

the  miracle  alone  as  what  is  said  and  done  in  conse- 
quence of  the  miraculous  action  of  Jesus  that  interests 
John.  The  character  of  the  true  Messiah  is  in  this  chap-  The  Mas- 
ter made  to  stand  out  not  only  against  the  disappointed  chapter  if 
misconceptions  of  the  people,  but  in  his  vital  relations  to  thelupiSrt^ 
men.     In  the  fifth  chapter  Jesus  is  presented  us  as  in  °^  ''^^ 
intimate  union  with  the  Father  and  as  the  source  of  life. 
Now  we  are  to  see  how  in  vital  contact  with  men  He  may 
be  the  support  of  life.     The  study  of  this  chapter  is, 
therefore,   the   study   of   another   series   of   Messianic 
claims. 


2.   The  Narrative  Concerning  the  Miracle  (6:1-21) 

Afterward  Jesus  went  away  from  Capernaum  and  its  Jesus  takes 
neighborhood  to  the  other  side  of  the  Lake  of  Galilee  (the  pies  away 
Lake  of  Tiberias).  The  disciples  had  just  returned  from 
their  mission,  full  of  enthusiasm  over  their  success,  and  to 
give  them  opportunity  for  rest  Jesus  had  bidden  them,  with- 
out attracting  attention,  go  with  him  to  a  quiet  spot  over 
on  the  northern  shore.  Curiosity  and,  in  all  likelihood,  an 
undefined  expectation  were  at  this  time  widespread,  for 
the  marvellous  cures  which  Jesus  was  continually  per- 
forming kept  a  crowd  always  about  him.  Just  at  this  time, 
too,  the  whole  land  was  in  motion,  since  the  Passover  was 
close  at  hand,  making  it  easy  to  get  a  large  multitude  to- 
gether.    The  little  group,  therefore,  did  not  get  away  with- 

151 


Public  Ministry  The  Messages  of  Jesus 

Crowd  foi-    out  notice  and  while  they  were  crossing  the  crowd  was 
toTorth"^     hurrying  around  the  head  of  the  lake.     Before  it  arrived 
shore^Sf  the  J^sus  had  time  to  go  back  upon  the  hill-side  with  the  disci- 
'ake  (2)        pigs  and  talk  a  while.     Then  the  people  began  to  stream  in 
upon  them,  and  the  sight  so  touched  his  compassionate 
heart,  for  they  seemed  to  him  like  sheep  without  a  shepherd, 
that  he  gave  up  his  original  purpose  of  a  quiet  day  with  his 
disciples,  and,  interpreting  his  compassion  as  the  direction 
of  the  Father,  taught  them  and  healed  their  sick  all  day 
long.     As  evening  drew  near,  the  disciples,  reminding  him 
of  the  fact  that  they  were  in  an  uninhabited  spot  and  that 
the  people  were  in  need  of  food,  begged  him  to  send  the 
crowd  away  into  the  farms  and  villages  to  buy  food. 
After  work        *'  Suppose  you  Undertake  the  task  of  feeding  them,"  Jesus 
jesus^de-^'    replied,  and  turning  to  Philip,  whose  matter-of-fact,  calcu- 
feed  th?  ^°  lating  turn  of  mind  would  at  once  busy  itself  with  the  ques- 
peopie  ^Jqj^^  j^g  asked,  "Where  can  we  buy  bread  enough  for  the 

whole  company?"     It  is  to  be  noted  that  Jesus  put  this 
question  to  Philip  simply  to  see  whether  it  would  possibly 
occur  to  the  naive  disciple  that  there  might  be  some  other 
way  out  of  the  difficulty  than  that  of  calculating  and  buy- 
ing.    Jesus  himself  knew  at  the  time  what  he  intended  to 
do.     It  never  once  entered  Philip's  mind  that  there  could 
be  any  other  way,  so  he  replied  after  some  figuring,  that 
But  a  small  thirty -five  dollars'  (the  sum  the  disciples  probably  had  on 
food 'on°       hand)  worth  of  bread  would  not  provide  for  such  a  crowd, 
hand  (7-9)    w  q^  ^^^  ggg  ^iovf  many  loaves  you  can  find  among  the 

152 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John  Public  Ministry 

people,"   said   Jesus   to   the   disciples.     Andrew,  Peter's 
brother,  soon  brought  him  word  that  there  was  a  boy 
present  who  had  five  barley  loaves  and  two  small  fishes 
to  sell — a  pitifully  inadequate  supply  for  so  many.     The 
time  for  the  manifestation  of  divine  power  and  help  had 
come,  and  Jesus  commanded  the  disciples  to  arrange  the 
whole  crowd  in  groups  of  hundreds  and  fifties  upon  the 
green  hill-slope.     Then,  taking  the  loaves  and  fishes  in  his  The  mira- 
hands,  he  began,  after  he  had  given  thanks  to  God,  to  break  loaves  and 
them  and,  by  means  of  his  disciples,  to  distribute  them  (10^13) 
through  the  great  company.     Steadily  the  distribution  con- 
tinued until  all  had  had  plenty.     Indeed,  there  was  an 
abundance  left  and  the  disciples  were  bidden  to  gather  this 
up  in  order  that  there  should  be  no  waste.     The  fragments 
amounted  to  twelve  basketfuls. 

The  conclusions  of  the  crowd  were  quick  and  moment-  Effect  of 
ous:  "This  is  the  prophet  who  was  to  come  into  the  world."  (14, 15) 
"He  has  the  power  to  lead  us  to  victory  and  glory."  "Let  us 
seize  him,  take  him  to  Jerusalem,  and  proclaim  him  King!" 
It  was  a  critical  moment  for  Jesus.  He  had  to  act  deci- 
sively and  at  once,  else  all  his  work  hitherto  would  end  in 
ruin.  He  must  show  the  people,  even  though  in  doing  it 
he  signed  his  own  death-warrant,  that  he  could  not  be  the 
Messiah  they  desired.  First  he  ordered  the  disciples, 
either  because  they  already  were  joining  in  the  enthusiasm 
of  the  crowd,  or  because  he  feared  they  might  be  caught  by 
the  infection,  to  go  down  to  the  boat,  and,  if  he  did  not  come 

153 


Public  Ministry  The  Messages  of  Jesus 

to  them  by  nightfall,  to  row  over  the  lake  in  the  direction  of 
Bethsaida.     Then  he  addressed  the  people,  refusing  to  con- 
sider their  wishes,  and  bade  them  go  quietly  away.     Not 
desiring  to  go  down  through  the  moving  crowd  to  the  boat, 
he  went  further  back  up  the  hill-side  and  engaged  in  prayer. 
The  disci-     It  was  late  when  the  disciples  went  down  to  the  shore.     As 
ForC^ape"-    it  had  bccomc  quite  dark  and  Jesus  had  not  come,  they  set 
(^1^6-^8)        out  over  the  lake  toward  Capernaum.     The  water  at  the 
time  was  in  heavy  commotion,  being  stirred  up  by  one  of 
those  strong  wind  currents  common  to  this  lake,  and  due  in 
large  measure  to  the  configuration  of  the  shores.     Being 
driven  out  of  their  course,  the  disciples  had  rowed  a  long 
while  and  accomplished  only  about  three  miles  when  they 
saw  Jesus  walking  upon  the  sea  and  getting  near  to  the 
Jesus  boat.     In  their  alarm  at  what  seemed  to  them  a  ghost  they 

them^  ^°  cried  out,  but  were  immediately  reassured  by  the  familiar 
(19-21)  voice  of  the  Master,  who  called  to  them  to  not  be  afraid, 
since  it  was  he.  When  they  knew  who  it  was  they  would 
have  gladly  taken  him  into  the  boat.  So  intent  had  they 
been  upon  the  event  of  the  appearance  of  Jesus  that  they 
did  not  notice  the  movement  of  the  boat,  which  came  almost 
immediately  upon  the  shore  for  which  they  had  set  out.^ 

1  It  is  well  known  that  more  than  one  commentator  has  concluded  that, 
had  we  only  John's  account,  there  would  be  no  good  reason  for  supposing  a 
miracle  in  connection  with  this  scene  of  crossing  the  lake.  Exegetically  there 
is  no  suflScient  basis  for  a  miracle  in  the  text  since  "on  the  sea"  (19)  may  also 
mean  ' '  on  the  shore  "  (see  2 1 :  i ) .  In  that  case  J  esus  went  around  by  the  head 
of  the  lake,  and  the  wind  dri\ing  the  boat  so  that  they  were  not  clear  as  to 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John  Public  Ministry 

After  the  word.;  of  Jesus  the  night  before,  many  doubtless  A  large 
went  away  home,  but  a  large  company,  in  ardent  hope  that  awaUs^^ 
they  might  yet  induce  him  to  lead  them  as  their  Messiah,  /he  m5?Jh- 
had  remained  all  night  under  the  open  sky,  and  with  the  sJore^Sf  the 
first  morning  light  began  to  look  for  him.    The  last  they  had  ^^^ 
seen  of  him  had  been  when  he  went  back  up  the  hill-side. 
He  must  still  be  somewhere  about,  they  thought,  for  there 
was  only  one  boat  on  the  beach  the  night  before  and  the 
disciples  had  gone  away  in  that  without  him.     While  they 
were  watching  and  waiting  some  boats  came  across  the  lake 
toward  them,  and  at  first  they  supposed  the  disciples  were 
returning,  but  the  boats  turned  out  to  be  from  Tiberias. 
Concluding,  at  last,  that  he  must  have  gone  around  the  head  it  crosses 
of  the  lake,  they  arranged  with  the  Tiberias  boatmen  to  take  boats  from 
them  over  to  Capernaum,  where  they  believed  they  would  and^fimfs 

Jesus  on 
their  course,  brought  them  in  the  very  early  morning  near  the  northwestern  r-pnnesaret 
shore  where  they  saw  Jesus.  Startled  at  his  appearance,  since  they  did  not  (24,  25) 
know  exactly  where  they  were,  they  were  quieted  by  his  greeting,  and  then 
they  wanted  to  take  him  into  the  boat.  Hardly  had  they  expressed  their 
willingness  when  the  boat's  keel  grated  upon  the  shore.  This  natural  ex- 
planation is  of  course  impossible  if  Matthew's  account,  which  includes  the 
rescue  of  Peter,  be  accepted,  but  it  is  noteworthy  that  Mark,  who  gives  the 
recollections  of  Peter,  says  nothing  about  this  rescue.  Why  should  Peter 
omit  such  a  significant  personal  reminiscence?  The  omission  of  the  event 
from  both  Mark  and  John  arrests  attention.  Unless  this  scene  is  added, 
there  seems  to  be  no  sufl&cient  reason  for  the  miracle,  for  the  disciples  were 
apparently  in  no  great  danger  and  Jesus  did  nothing  for  them  after  he  came 
to  them.  Whence  Matthew  obtained  his  account  cannot  be  known.  Clearly 
what  he  gives  makes  the  whole  account  miraculous,  and  as  such  it  is  generally 
received. 


Public  Ministry  The  Messages  of  Jesus 

be  most  likely  to  find  him.  Jesus  had  apparently  avoided 
going  to  this  city,  but  he  was  not  far  away  and  was  discov- 
ered somewhere  on  the  plain  of  Gennesaret.  They  ap- 
proached him  with  the  question  as  to  when  he  had  come 
over  to  this  side  of  the  lake.  At  this  point  the  teaching  con- 
nected with  the  miracle  of  the  feeding  of  the  multitude  be- 
gins. 

3.    THE    TEACHING    OF    JESUS    (6:26-59) 

I.  Introductory 

Several  dis-  Instead  of  one  discourse  we  have  here  at  least 
thdr^gen-  three,  with  perhaps  a  change  of  scene  and  of  audience 
erai  charac-  j^j.  ^^^j^  ^^^  j^.  jg  again  virtually  a  grouping  of  dis- 
courses with  reference  to  the  miracle  of  the  loaves,  and 
these  discourses  are  all  marked  by  a  strong  Johannine 
impress.  They  show  close  and  difficult  connections; 
they  contain  fixed  refrains  (39,  40,  44,  54;  33,  50,  58; 
35,  48,  51);  they  set  over  against  the  blinding  literalism 
of  the  Jews  the  "true"  spiritual  interpretation.  (See 
28,  29;  34,  35;  52,  53).  They  show  also  views  of 
thought  which,  while  they  may  not  be  called  Pauline, 
suggest  Pauline  influence. 


156 


According  to  the   Gospel  of  JoJm  Public  Ministry 


2.  The  First  Discourse:  The  True  Bread  (6:26-40) 

I.  Its  Source. 

(a)  It  is  given  by  the  Father  (32),  through  the 

Son  (27). 

(b)  It  comes  down  from  heaven  (32,  33). 
n.  Its  Nature, 

(a)  It  is  personal  and  vital  and  spiritual  (33, 
35). 

III.  Its  Power. 

(a)  It  gives  life  (33). 

(6)  It  satisfies  hunger  forever  (35). 

IV.  Its  Attainability. 

It  is  gained  not  by  physical  exertion  (27), 
but  by  spiritual  work  (29),  which  work  is  be- 
Heving  in  Jesus  Christ  (29),  or  coming  to  him 
in  faith.  This  last  thought  of  "coming"  sug- 
gests the  attitude  of  the  Jews  and  the  truth 
given  in  37-40  (an  important  parenthesis)  may 
be  analyzed  as  follows : 

(1)  The  certainty  of  the  realization  of  the 

coming  in  the  case  of  those  whom 
the  Father  is  giving  him  (37  a). 
They  shall  reach  him  (the  Son), 

(2)  The  surety  of  the  issue  to  those  who 

come  (37  b). 

157 


Public  Ministry  The  Messages  of  Jesus 

Reasons  jar  (l)  and  (2): 

(a)  Jesus  came  to  do  the  Father's 

will. 
(6)  That  will  includes  (l)  and  (2): 

viewed  from  the  divine  side, 
viewed  from  the  human  side, 
and  involving 
(a)  present  salvation, 
{h)  future  resurrection. 


Jesus  lays  To  the  question,  "When  and  how  did  you  come  to  be 
motives  of  here?"  Jesus  gave  the  people  no  answer.  He  immediately 
seekmg^hlm  addressed  himself  to  the  motives  which  were  impelling 
^^^^  people  to  seek  him,  and  there  was  need  of  speaking  em- 

phatically and  directly,  since  they  had  missed,  or,  what  is 
practically  the  same  thing,  misinterpreted  the  meaning 
of  the  signs  which  he  had  hitherto  given  them.  Only  the 
outward  or  earthly  side  had  made  appeal  to  them.  In  the 
miracles  of  cure,  they  saw  merely  the  healing;  in  that  of  the 
supply  of  food,  only  that  gratification  of  physical  need  which 
gave  seconding  to  their  dream  of  that  time  when  by  the  Mes- 
siah, "they  should  all  be  gathered  together  in  the  garden  of 
Eden,  and  should  eat  and  drink  and  satiate  themselves  all 
the  days  of  the  world."  "Verily,  verily,"  said  Jesus,  "you 
are  seeking  me,  not  because  you  have  seen  in  my  wonderful 
deeds  glimpses  of  the  spiritual  revelations  of  the  true  mean- 

158 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John   Public  Ministry 

ing  of  my  person  and  work,  but  because  you  ate  of  the  few 
loaves,  were  filled  and  thereby  quickened  in  your  carnal 
Messianic  expectations.  For  this  reason  you  have  followed 
me  over  the  wearying  distance  from  Bethsaida  Julias;  for 
this  reason  you  toil  after  me  from  place  to  place.  Do  not  The  food 
spend  your  energies  in  this  way  trying  to  get  the  food  which  they^shouid 
perisheth — the  fleeting,  material  satisfactions  of  an  hour.  (27728) 
Make  it  rather  the  object  of  your  earnest  effort  to  secure  that 
food  which  will  meet  your  need  not  only  here,  but  all 
through  the  life  beyond.  Vou  can  have  it  as  a  gift  from 
the  Son  of  IVIan — one  who  fully  understands  your  needs — 
since  God,  the  Father,  has  by  just  such  wonderful  deeds  as 
you  witnessed  last  evening  authenticated  him  as  the  one 
to  bring  to  men  this  imperishable  blessing.  Fixing  their 
thought  upon  the  necessity  of  personal  effort,  they  met  his 
exhortation  with  a  question  reflecting  the  legalistic  external 
service  of  God  with  which  they  were  familiar.  '*If  we  are 
to  work,  what  are  we  to  do  in  order  to  satisfy  God?"  ''You  What  they 
are  to  do  this,"  said  Jesus  in  reply,  "commit  yourself  un-  J^g) 
reservedly,  wholly,  and  forever  to  him  whom  he  hath  sent — 
to  me."  ''That  is  a  large  demand,"  was  their  answer. 
What  have  you  to  show  that  will  convince  us  of  its  legiti- 
macy? You  say  that  we  have  misunderstood  the  signs.  If 
we  have  not  seen  that  which  we  thought  sufficient  to  lead 
us  to  hail  thee  as  our  king,  what  adequate  sign  will  you  offer 
us  in  order  that  we  may  believe  you?  The  critical  question 
really  returns  to  you.     "What  are  you  doing  to  justify  such 


Public  Ministry 


The  Messages  of  Jesus 


The  de- 
mand for  a 
sign;  some- 
thing as 
convincing 
as  Moses 
gave 
(30,  31) 


The  true 
bread  of 
heaven  of 
far  greater 
value  than 
the  manna 
(32) 


"I  am  the 
bread  of 
life" 

(33-35) 


sweeping,  comprehensive  requirements?  Our  fathers  ate 
manna  in  the  wilderness.  Through  forty  years  Moses  gave 
them  that  wonderful  bread  from  heaven.  Do  something  on 
as  grand  a  scale  as  that;  show  yourself  greater  than  Moses 
and  then  it  will  be  time  to  ask  us  to  believe."  To  this  Jesus 
made  reply  as  follows:  "In  two  essential  particulars  you 
are  mistaken  in  your  views  about  the  manna.  In  the  first 
place  it  was  not  given  to  your  fathers  by  Moses,  and,  sec- 
ondly, while  it  was  a  sort  of  bread  from  heaven,  it  was  not 
really  heavenly  bread.  My  Father  is  giving  you  now  that 
genuine  bread  from  heaven,  which  Moses  could  not  give, 
since  the  bread  of  God  is  that  spiritual  food  which  comes 
actually  from  heaven  and  which  gives  life  to  the  world." 
With  their  thoughts  intent  only  upon  some  physical  inter- 
pretation of  the  word,  they  asked  him  to  give  them  evermore 
of  this  kind  of  bread.  Jesus  had  now  brought  them  to  the 
critical  point  of  all  his  leading.  Dropping  all  disguise,  He 
said,  *'I  am  the  bread  of  life."  He  who  with  a  sense  of 
spiritual  need,  born  of  his  consciousness  of  sin  and  his  own 
helplessness,  comes  to  me  for  help  and  strength  and  hope 
shall  in  no  wise  be  left  unsatisfied — his  hunger  shall  be 
surely  stilled;  he  who  in  complete  trust  commits  himself  to 
me  for  spiritual  power  and  direction  in  life  and  for  salvation 
in  death  shall  be  as  one  whose  thirst  has  been  forever 
quenched.  Alas!  How  different  it  is  with  you !  You  have 
seen  me  doing  the  works  which  the  Father  gave  me  to  do; 
you  have  eaten  of  bread  miraculously  provided.  Through 
160 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John  Public  Ministry 

all  these  signs  I  have  been  trying  to  show  myself  to  you,  and 
yet  you  refuse  to  believe. 

The  sad  issue  of  these  significant  days  in  Galilee,  fore-  The  source 
shadowing  as  they  did  his  ultimate  rejection  by  the  nation,  °o  jeJji°[n 
brought  home  to  the  mind  of  Jesus  a  time  of  earnest  ques-  crftkal^"^^' 
tioning.     What  is  to  come  of  my  work  ?     Is  it  to  fail ?     The  ^y^;^  l^J^ 
answer  comes  to  him  from  his  consciousness  of  his  relation  (36.  37) 
to  the  Father.     It  is  after  all  his  work  and  therefore  can- 
not fail.     In  this  way  he  comforts  himself.     That  whole 
company  which  the  Father,  through  a  right  conception  on 
their  part  of  my  mission  and  through  faith,  is  giving  me 
shall  reach  me  (find  me  through  and  in  the  signs),  and  not 
one  who  comes  to  me  with  such  discerning  faith,  no  matter 
who  he  may  be,  will  I  turn  away,  for  the  single  reason  that 
I  am  not  come  from  God  to  exercise  any  preferences  of  my 
own,  but  solely  to  carry  out  his  divine  will.     That  will  is  No  one  who 
that  I  shall  lose  not  one  out  of  all  that  number  which  he  h?m?haU 
shall  have  given  me  when  the  end  comes.     Nay,  rather,  a^Ir^h^ 
that  I  shall  bring  them  all  in  the  last  day  to  a  glorious  resur-  ^\,^}}  l^'''"^ 

'^  -^  o  all  believers 

rection.     It  cannot  be  otherwise,  for  it  is  his  will,  too,  that  to  a  glorious 

end 

every  one  who  looks  upon  me  as  the  Son  and  commits  him-  (38-40) 
self  to  me  in  trust  shall  have  enduring  life,  which  life  in  the 
last  day  shall  be  clothed  with  resurrection  glory. 


161 


Public  Ministry  The  Messages  of  Jesus 


3.  The  Second  Discourse :  Coming  to  (that  is,  believing 
in)  the  Son  (6:41-51) 

I.  The  inner  divine  working  necessary  to  it — the 
drawing  of  the  Father  (44),  which  is  through 
"teaching"  and  "learning"  (45)  but  not  by 
direct  vision  of  the  Father;  only  the  Son  has 
this  (46). 
II.  The  blessing  which  it  secures — eternal  life  (47), 
since  the  Son  is  the  bread  of  life  (48),  which 
bread  does  not,  as  did  the  manna,  leave  men 
to  die  (49),  but  which,  because  it  is  the  hving 
bread  from  heaven  (51),  gives  eternal  life. 
That  bread  is  his  flesh  (51). 

The  Jews  The  exalted  claim  of  being  bread  from  heaven  was  re- 
daim  *^  ceived  with  little  favor  by  the  Jews  (the  unbelieving  Gali- 
(41.  42)  leans  are  here  so  named).  Indeed,  as,  among  themselves, 
they  compared  it  with  what  they  knew  about  his  family 
relations,  they  found  in  it  only  a  blank  contradiction  of  fact, 
and  showed  very  clearly  the  impatience  of  their  scepticism. 
"How  can  he,  the  son  of  Joseph,  presume  to  say  *I  am 
come  down  from  heaven/  when  we  know  both  his  father 
and  his  mother?" 

The  reply  of  Jesus  laid  bare  the  innermost  reason  of  their 
162 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John  Public  Ministry 

doubts  and  murmurings.     The  contradiction  which  they  The  inner- 
were  emphasizing  was  itself  the  effect,  not  the  cause,  of  their  SThek  ^'^^ 
unbelief.     "Do  not  find  fault  with  me  among  yourselves,"  ("3^44) 
he  said.     No  one  can  enter  into  close,  personal,  spiritual 
relations  with  me  unless  the  Father  who  sent  me  draws  him, 
that  is,  unless  the  Father,  through  experiences  of  mercy, 
through  the  still,  small  voice  of  conscience,  through  sorrow, 
loss,  or  disappointment,  through  his  word  and  his  messen- 
gers shall  awaken  him  to  the  spiritual  meaning  of  Hfe  and  its 
value.     God  is  ever  trying  in  these  ways  to  draw  men  to  God's 
himself,  or,  what  is  virtually  the  same  thing,  to  me;  and  fluence 
whoever  comes  to  me,  in  this  sense  of  coming,  shall  have  ^^^  "^^^ 
part  in  the  resurrection  of  the  last  great  day.     That  word 
from  the  prophets  ''And  they  shall  all  be  taught  of  God," 
illustrates  what  I  mean.     The  prophet  is  speaking  of  the 
condition  which  shall  obtain  in  the  kingdom  of  the  Messiah. 
By  divine  teaching  shall  God  have  drawn  them  all  to  him- 
self.    It  is  implied,  of  course,  that  he  who  has  heard  has 
learned  the  inward  meaning  of  the  lesson  taught;  only  he, 
in  fact,  can  be  said  to  be  really  taught  of  God.     How  true 
it  is,  then,  that  every  one  who  heareth  from  the  Father 
and  spiritually  understands,  comes  to  me!     In  one  point.  Only  the 
however,    let    me   guard   against   misunderstanding.     In  rect  vfslon" 
speaking  of  being  taught  of  God  it  is  not  to  be  understood  ^"^^^ 
that  this  is  by  direct,  immediate  vision.     No  one  except  him 
whose  origin  is  divine  has  had  this  direct,  unshadowed  per- 
ception of  the  Father. 

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Public  Ministry  The  Messages  of  Jesus 

Their  It  remains  true,  therefore,  that  I  am  come  from  heaven, 

no"change  whether  you  murmur  or  not.     Hence,  I  say  to  you  again  in 

gardfiiT  "^^  solemn  assurance  of  the  truth  of  what  I  am  saying,  "He 

him  and  ^j^q  beheves  has  enduring  Hfe."     I  am  the  bread  of  life. 

the  issues  ^ 

lor  those      Your  fathers  did  eat  manna  in  the  wilderness,  yes,  and  they 

who  accept  ■  j      >  j 

him  died.     The  manna  was  not  spiritual  food.     This  bread  of 

b'fe  which  I  am  offering  is  the  bread  which  cometh  down 
from  heaven  in  order  that  any  one  may  eat  of  it  and  may 
not  spiritually  die.  It  is  food  for  the  soul.  It  is  not  only 
the  bread  of  life,  but  it  is  living  bread  out  of  heaven.  If 
any  man  eat  of  it,  he  shall  have  within  himself  a  spiritual 
supply  adequate  to  his  need  on  and  on  through  the  endless 
ages  of  eternity.  Nay,  more,  this  bread  which  I  shall  give 
for  the  life  of  the  world  is  my  flesh. 


4.   The  Third  Discourse:  The  Appropriation  of  Life 

(6:52-58) 

I.  The  means  to  it — eating  the  flesh  of  the  Son  of 

Man,  drinking  his  blood  (53). 
II.  The  resulting  blessings: 

(a)  Possession  of  enduring  life  (54  a,  57,  58). 
(6)  Abiding  of  the  believer  in  the  Son  (56  a). 

(c)  Abiding  of  the  Son  in  the  believer  (56  h). 

(d)  Bodily  resurrection  at  the  last  day  (54  6). 

164 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John  Public  Ministry 

Up  to  this  point  in  the  discourses  Jesus  had  identified  The  world 
himself  with  the  "bread  from  heaven,"  and  he  has  made  Lting^h^s  ^ 
''reaching  him,"  ''believing  on  him,"  and  "eating  of  the  (5^^-59) 
bread" — varying  descriptions  of  personal  commitment  to 
his  service — the  conditions  of  enduring  life  and  blessedness. 
It  had  all  seemed  to  his  hearers  presumptuous  and  enigmat- 
ical, but  now  he  takes  up  a  form  of  statement  which  is  not 
only  incomprehensible,  but  also  in  the  highest  degree 
offensive.  He  will  give  his  flesh  to  eat  in  order  that  the 
world  may  live.  A  sharp  discussion  arose  as  to  what  such 
words  could  possibly  mean.  "How  can  he  give  us  his 
flesh  to  eat?"  Jesus  does  not  explain  to  them  the  "how" 
of  the  matter,  but  solemnly  reiterates  his  thought  in  a  yet 
more  specific  form.  "Verily,  verily,  I  say  to  you  that  un- 
less by  faith  you  appropriate  the  life  of  the  Son  of  Man,  that 
is,  his  human  life  in  all  its  spiritual  significance,  and  by 
faith  accept  his  death  in  its  sacrificial  import,  you  virtually 
have  no  life  in  yourselves."  Such  appropriation  brings 
eternal  life  and  in  the  last  day  the  surety  of  resurrection, 
since  '  my  flesh  and  my  blood '  are  the  actual  sustenance 
of  man's  spiritual  nature.  He  that  takes  them  comes  into 
such  intimate,  vital  relationship  with  me  that  he  abides  in 
me  and  I  in  him.  Just  as  the  living  Father  sent  me  and 
my  whole  life  is  in  my  dependence  upon  him  and  in  fellow- 
ship with  him,  so  it  is  in  the  case  of  one  who  "feeds"  upon 
me.  He  shall  in  the  same  way  live  through  and  by  me. 
This  is  what  the  bread  which  has  come  down  from  heaven 

i6S 


Public  Ministry  The  Messages  of  Jesus 

signifies.  The  fathers  who  ate  the  manna  died;  not  so  will 
the  issue  be  to  him  who  eats  of  this  bread.  He  shall  live 
forever," 

The  above  words  were  spoken  as  he  was  teaching  m  the 
synagogue  in  Capernaum. 


Ill 

THE   CRISIS   IN   GALILEE    (6:60-71) 

Disappoint-      These  discourses  in  their  persistent  spirituahzation  of  the 

his  spiritual  Messianic  ideal  caused  bitter  disappointment.     There  was 

demand?      not  a  word  in  them  suited  to  the  carnal  hopes  of  the  hearers. 

^  °*   ^'        Indeed,  each  new  word  made  the  outlook  more  hopeless. 

Jesus,  perceiving  how  difficult  his  doctrine  was  for  many 

who  had  hitherto  been  his  disciples,  tried  to  show  them 

how  essential  to  them  was  the  spiritual  in  himself. 

I.  The   Fourth   Discourse:     The    Essential    in    the 
Messiah  is  the  Spiritual  (6:62-65) 

I.  Proofs  of  this: 

(a)  The  (then)  future  fact  of  his  ascension 

to  heaven  (62). 
(6)  The  necessity  of  the  Spirit  in  all  commu- 
nication of  life  (63). 
166 


According  to  the   Gospel  of  John  Public  Ministry 

II.  Consequences  of  this : 

(a)  In  the  case  of  many  it  brought  to  Hght 
their  real  unbeHef  (64). 

(6)  It  showed  also  the  necessity  of  the  "giv- 
ing "  of  the  Father  if  there  was  to  be  a 
true  coming  to  the  Son  (65). 

(c)  It  actually  turned  many  from  disciple- 
ship. 


You  have  taken  offence  at  all  that  I  have  said  which  His  depart- 
demands  a  spiritual  apprehension  and  appropriation  of  dayto'"^ 
myself.     What  will  be  your  attitude  if  you  see  me  give  up  show^Eow'^' 
the  flesh,  depart  from  these  earthly  surroundings  and  go  thrspi?it-^ 
back  to  heaven  to  that  spiritual  condition  in  which  I  once  ^^l  (<52,  63) 
was?    Will  it  not  then  be  clear  that  the  spiritual  is  the 
essential  in  my  Messiahship?     Is  it  not  always  the  spirit, 
and  the  spirit  alone,  that  is  Hfe-giving?     "Flesh,"  without 
it  has  no  abiding  value;  it  is  Hke  manna.     All  the  words 
through  which  I  have  offered  myself  to  you  are  meant  to  be 
channels  of  the  spirit  and  of  life  to  you,  since  in  believing 
those  words  you  would  be  brought  into  contact  with  the  life 
in  me.     There  are,  however,  some  of  you  who  do  not  be-  Some 
lieve  in  this  vital  way.     Jesus  could  say  this,  for  he  knew  J^°n  frSSJ 
from  the  beginning  of  the  discipleship  of  many  how  con-  hop^es'and 
stantly  they  kept  in  view  fleshly  hopes  and  dreams,  and  ^h^^^°n^'* 
from  the  beginning  of  his  close  association  with  Judas  he  ^^^  to 
saw  that  his  ambitions  were  becoming  more  and  more  fixed  (64.  65) 

167 


Public  Ministry  The  Messages  of  Jesus 

in  the  same  direction.  These  would  ultimately  drive  him 
to  betrayal.  This  same  misdirected  faith  led  Jesus  also  to 
the  reflection  that  no  one  could  come  into  personal  spirit- 
ual relations  with  him  unless  the  Father  by  some  ex- 
perience had  awakened  him  to  the  spiritual  meaning  and 
value  of  life. 

Many  leave      Hereupon  many  of  his  disciples  turned  back  and  walked 

^^"^^^'^      no  longer  with  him. 


2.  The  Concession  oj  Peter  (6:67-71) 

It  is  possible  that  several  weeks  intervened  between 
the  discourse  of  Jesus  recorded  in  62-65  and  this  con- 
fession of  Peter.  If  so,  then  the  days  were  probably 
marked  by  a  continual  defection  from  the  band  of  dis- 
ciples. By  Weiss  and  Godet  this  scene  is  identified  with 
that  given  in  Matthew  16: 16.  It  is  more  likely  to  have 
occurred  some  time  before.  The  question  of  Jesus  is 
meant  to  test  the  loyalty  of  the  disciples  in  view  of  his 
refusal  to  satisfy  the  materialistic  hopes  of  the  people  and 
their  consequent  repudiation  of  him.  The  significance 
of  Peter's  confession  is  that  it  is  a  tribute  to  the  character 
of  Jesus  born  of  a  maturing  experience. 

You  will  not  go,  too,  will  you,  said  Jesus  to  the  twelve? 
Peter  answering  for  them,  said  "No,"  and  gave  three  rea- 
168 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John  Public  Ministry 

sons  for  his  answer.     There  is  no  other  to  whom  we  can  go.  Peter  an- 
Thou  hast  the  words  which  bring  enduring  life  to  those  the^tweWe 
who  commit  themselves  to  them  by  faith,  and  we  in  believ-  JJiJ/not^ 
ing  have  come  to  know  that  thou  art  the  one  free  from  all  IfjJJ'tg'ji™ 
sin  and  belonging  wholly  to  God.     Peter  spoke  for  all,  but  him  why 
Jesus  had  seen  enough  in  these  sad  days  to  make  it  very  evi- 
dent that  one  of  the  twelve  was  playing  a  devil's  part  in  per- 
verting good  to  selfish  ends.     "  It  is  true  that  I  chose  you  all  Jesus  refers 
for  myself,"  said  Jesus,  "but  one  of  you  is  a  devil."     As  the  (70, 71')^ 
evangelist  tells  us,  he  meant  Judas,  the  son  of  Simon  Iscar- 
iot,  for  he  was  the  one  of  the  twelve  who  was,  in  coming 
days,  to  betray  the  Master. 


IV 

JESUS   AT   THE   FEAST   OF    TABERNACLES    (7) 

I.  Introductory 

Between  the  occurrence  of  the  events  narrated  in  the  six  months 
sixth  chapter  and  those  in  the  seventh  intervenes  a  space  chapfe^r's 
of  at  least  six  months,  for  the  Feast  of  Tabernacles  was  ^  ^^^  7 
celebrated  in  October.     Jesus  had  made  in  this  inter- 
vening time  journeys  toward  Tyre  and  Sidon,  into  the 
Decapolis  and  into  northern  Galilee,  where  the  transfig- 
uration took  place.     With  the  crisis  in  Galilee,  however, 
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Public  Ministry  The  Messages  of  Jesus 

John's  interest  in  the  ministry  in  the  northern  pro\ince 
came  to  an  end.  The  scene  is  immediately  shifted  to 
Jerusalem.  We  are  introduced  into  the  thick  of  con- 
flicting estimates  and  again  shown  the  Messiah  in  the 
claims  which  are  set  over  against  these  estimates.  The 
whole  chapter  is  full  of  action.  The  scene  is  crowded 
with  all  sorts  and  conditions  of  men — "Jews,"  the  mul- 
titude, the  people  of  Jerusalem,  the  Sadducees,  the  Phar- 
isees, and  disciples.  Here  "the  crisis  becomes  hotter; 
the  divisions,  the  doubts,  the  hopes,  the  jealousies,  and 
the  casuistry  of  the  Jews  are  vividly  portrayed.  We  see 
the  mass  of  the  populace  swaying  to  and  fro,  hardly 
knowing  which  way  to  turn,  inclined  to  believe,  but  held 
back  by  the  more  sophisticated  citizens  of  the  metropolis. 
In  the  background  looms  the  dark  shadow  of  the  hie- 
rarchy itself,  intrenched  behind  its  prejudices  and  refus- 
ing to  hear  the  cause  that  it  has  already  prejudged.  A 
single  timid  voice  is  raised  against  this  injustice,  but  is  at 
once  fiercely  silenced."  Over  against  all  this  stands  the 
calm,  serene,  majestic  figure  of  the  Messiah.  The  chap- 
ter presents  several  features  worthy  of  careful  attention : 

(1)  A  fulness  of  detail  which  argues  for  an  eye-witness. 

(2)  Illustrations  of  the  thematic  character  of  John's 
presentation  of  Christ's  teaching.  (3)  A  portrayal  of 
the  nature  and  strength  of  the  antagonism  whose  issue 
was  Calvary. 


170 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John  Public  Ministry 


2.    The  Conversation  in  Galilee  with  His  Brethren 
(7:1-10) 

Afterward  Jesus  travelled  about  in  Galilee,  being  un-  The  broth- 
willing  to  take  up  his  activity  in  Judea,  since  the  Jews  were  urge  him  to 
on  the  watch  to  kill  him.  The  Feast  of  Tabernacles,  how-  senTn^j^ru- 
ever,  was  near  at  hand,  and  his  brothers  (James,  Joses,  ^^^^^  ^^"^^ 
Judas  and  Simon,  Mark  6 :  3)  urged  him  to  leave  Galilee 
and  go  into  Judea  in  order  that  his  disciples  from  all  parts 
of  the  nation,  and  especially  those  in  Judea,  might  see  his 
wonderful  works.  "You  have  performed  them  in  vain  here 
in  Galilee,"  they  said,  **for  the  people  are  constantly  turn- 
ing away  from  you."  Go  up  to  the  capital,  where  the  char- 
acter and  worth  of  your  deeds  will  be  justly  estimated. 
Abandon  this  equivocal  position,  for  no  man  works  in 
secret  and  at  the  same  time  wishes  to  be  widely  known. 
Since  you  are  a  worker  of  miracles,  it  is  absurd  to  waste 
your  time  here  in  this  distant  province.  Show  yourself  to 
the  world  as  the  Messiah.  Let  Jerusalem  know  who  and 
what  you  are.  The  urgency  of  the  brethren  of  Jesus  came 
from  their  real  perplexity  about  him.  They  had  not  ac- 
cepted his  Messiahship,  and  yet  they  were  impressed  by  his 
wonderful  deeds.  They  wished  him  by  the  way  of  mira- 
cles to  put  his  claims  beyond  question.  It  was  virtually  the 
pinnacle  temptation  over  again,  and  Jesus  promptly  re- 
plied. The  seasonable  moment  for  such  public  manifesta- 
171 


Public  Ministry 


The  Messages  of  Jesus 


Why  Jesus 
refuses  to 
comply 
(6-9) 


Jesus  goes 
quietly  to 
the  feast 
(lo) 


tion  as  you  have  in  mind  has  not  yet  come.  As  you  have 
only  to  show  yourselves  faithful  Jews  your  time  is  always 
seasonable.  The  world  is  not  hostile  to  you  and  cannot  be, 
since  you  sympathize  with  its  spirit  and  have  part  in  its 
dreams  and  hopes.  On  the  contrary,  it  has  the  deepest 
antagonism  to  me  because  I  bear  witness  to  the  fact  that  its 
ways  are  wicked.  You  go  up  to  the  feast.  It  is  not  at  this 
feast  that  I  shall  make  my  Messianic  entry  into  Jerusalem. 
The  time  for  that  is  not  yet  fully  come. 

After  thus  speaking  with  his  brethren  Jesus  waited  a 
little  while  in  Galilee.  When  they  were  on  the  way  to  Jeru- 
salem and  the  disciples  with  them,  Jesus  set  out  either  alone 
or  with  one  or  two  friends  and  reached  the  capital,  as  it 
were,  in  secret. 


3.   The  Public  Interest  in  Him  (7:11-13) 


Jesus 
eagerly 
looked  for 
and  his 
claims  dis- 
cussed 
(11-13) 


As  the  caravans  from  Galilee  came  in  without  him,  the 
Jews  kept  looking  for  him  among  the  crowds,  asking  eagerly 
if  any  one  knew  where  he  was.  All  the  while  there  was  a 
wide-spread  and  yet  suppressed  discussion  going  on  among 
the  people  regarding  him.  Some  were  decidedly  of  the 
opinion  that  he  was  an  honorable  man  and  meant  in  no 
way  to  deceive;  others  accused  him  of  this  very  aim,  but  all 
spoke  guardedly  on  account  of  their  fear  of  the  Jews. 


172 


According  to  the   Gospel  of  John  Public  Ministry 


4.   The  Discourse  Concerning  His  Teaching  (7 :  14-24) 

I.  Whose  it  really  is  (16). 
II.  How  its  heavenly  origin  may  be  tested  (17). 

(a)  Confirmation  of  the  principle  of  verse 

17  (18). 
(6)  Application  of  this  principle  or  test  to  the 
Jews  (19,  22-24). 

Had  they  kept  the  spirit  of  the  Mosaic  law,  they  would 
not  have  condemned  him.  Their  judgment,  which  was 
according  to  appearance,  had  not  only  led  to  conspicuous 
inconsistency,  but  had  revealed  that  seeking  of  their 
own  glory  which  made  them  incompetent  to  estimate 
rightly  his  teaching. 

About  the  time  when  the  feast  was  half  over  (it  lasted  The  Jews 
eight  days)  Jesus  went  up  into  the  Temple  and  taught.  Ms  knowi^ 
Knowing  that  he  had  never  studied  in  one  of  the  great  scffptures^ 
schools,  the  Jews  were  astonished  at  his  knowledge  of  the  ^^4, 15) 
Scriptures,  and  at  his  skill  in  interpreting  them.     Where 
did  he  acquire  this  power,  they  asked.     In  his  answer  to 
them  Jesus  said:  "My  teaching  comes  in  no  sense  from 
myself.     Renouncing  all  thoughts  of  my  own,  I  seek  to  give  The  two 
only  the  teaching  of  him  who  hath  sent  me.     There  are  two  heavenly 
tests  of  this  teaching  which  you  may  apply,  if  you  will,  in  ([6?!f8) 
173 


Public  Ministry  The  Messages  of  Jesus 

order  to  prove  its  origin.     If  you  are  willing  to  do  the  will 
of  God,  to  bring  your  life  into  harmony  with  his  law,  you 
will  know  whether  my  teaching  is  self -originated  or  really 
is  from   God.     Again,   whoever  speaks  his  own  mind, 
teaches  his  own  ideas,  is  anxious  to  have  personal  recogni- 
tion and  the  furtherance  of  his  own  honor,  whereas  he  who 
acts  rightly  as  the  messenger  of  one  who  sends  him,  in  no 
way  allows  personal  interests  to  intrude  into  his  message. 
His  sole  aim  is  to  be  truthful;  there  is  not  the  shghtest  dis- 
honesty in  him.     Try  either  of  these  tests,  or  both,  and  see 
Their  own    whence  my  teaching  is.  Alas !  Your  very  conduct  shows  how 
gave  them    difficult  it  will  be  for  you  to  apply  such  tests.     You  profess 
to"condemn  devotion  to  Moses  and  yet  not  one  of  you  is  keeping  the  law 
him  (ig)      which  he  gave  you  in  the  way  in  which  you  are  expecting 
me  to  keep  it.     With  that  right  then  do  you  seek  to  put  me 
to  death  ?"    The  crowd  standing  by  and  entirely  innocent  of 
the  designs  of  the  hierarchy,  interrupted  him,  exclaiming, 
"You  must  be  possessed.     Who  is  seeking  to  put  you  to 
death?"     Not  noticing  this  interruption,  Jesus  continued: 
"  You  are  all  still  scandalized  at  one  violation  of  your  Sab- 
bath law  which  I  committed  here  in  Jerusalem.    Let  me  call 
Ana  fortiori  your  attention  to  the  matter  of  circumcision.     It  was  just 
upliolcHng     to  teach  you  the  lesson  which  my  miracle  has  emphasized 
5ire  ^^^^'^  that  Moses,  who  gave  you  the  ten  commandments,  added 
(21-24)        thereto  the  older  law  of  the  Abrahamic  covenant  involving 
the  strict  requirement  that  the  rite  of  circumcision  must  be 
administered  on  the  eighth  day,  even  if  that  were  a  Sabbath. 
174 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  JoJm  Public  Ministry 

If  the  Sabbath  could  give  way  to  a  mere  ceremonial  law  in 
order  that  the  command  of  Moses  might  not  be  disobeyed, 
why  are  you  angry  at  me  for  making  an  entire  man  well 
on  the  Sabbath?  Is  not  a  work  of  mercy  older  and 
higher  than  any  ritual?  Let  not  your  judgments  be 
from  mere  appearance.  Such  judgments  are  bound  to 
be  superficial,  and  consequently  unjust.  In  making 
your  judgments  consider  the  spirit,  purpose  and  result 
of  an  act  as  well  as  its  form,  that  your  judgments  may 
be  just."  ^ 

1  The  apparent  relation  of  the  thought  of  these  verses,  15-24,  to  that  ex- 
pressed in  5:  37-47  and  the  reference  (7:  21)  to  the  miracle  recounted  in  the 
fifth  chapter  have  led  to  the  discussion  as  to  whether  7:  15-24  is  not  a  dis- 
placed section  which  should  be  put  immediately  after  5:  37-47-  It  is  entirely 
a  question  of  exegesis  which  gives  the  following  arguments  against  the  con- 
clusion that  the  section  is  misplaced:  (i)  The  question  of  verse  15  is  not  the 
question  which  should  follow  5:  37-47.  It  fits  well  to  verse  14.  (2)  The  con- 
nection of  verse  19  with  5:  37-47  is  by  no  means  so  clear  as  between  19  and 
what  immediately  precedes  it.  Both  sections  refer  to  Moses  and  the  unre- 
sponsive attitude  of  the  people  toward  him,  but  in  chapter  5  the  reproof  is 
concerning  ]ailh\  in  chapter  7,  regarding  obedience.  (3)  It  must  be  borne 
in  mind  that  the  violation  of  the  Sabbath  was  a  "standing"  and  supreme 
cause  of  antagonism  to  Jesus.  May  not  the  question,  "\ATiy  do  you  seek  to 
kill  me?"  have  called  up  the  former  experience  in  Jerusalem?  It  is  ex- 
pressly stated  in  chapter  5:  18,  that  on  account  of  his  Sabbath  violations,  of 
which  the  curing  of  the  man  with  a  chronic  illness  had  been  a  specific  and 
notable  illustration,  the  Jews  sought  to  kill  him.  (See  Weiss  on  John  in  loco 
and  Haupt  in  Studien  und  Kritiken,  1893.)  The  following  order  has  been 
suggested:  6: 1-71,  5: 1-47,  7: 15-24.  1-14.  2sf. 


175 


origin 


Public  Ministry  The  Messages  of  Jesus 


5.   The  Discourse  Concerning  His  Origin  (7:25-29) 

They  dis-  Jesus  had  been  speaking  quite  freely  and  boldly  dur- 

Messiah-  ing  the  time  he  was  in  the  city.  Some  of  the  inhabitants 
theVoinTof  ^f  the  city  who  knew  of  the  intentions  of  the  authorities 
view  of  his  concluded  from  Jesus 's  manner  of  speech  that  there  must 
have  been  some  change  of  opinion  favorable  to  him,  and 
yet  they  were  sure  that  he  could  not  be  the  Messiah  since 
they  knew  the  birthplace  and  parents  of  Jesus,  whereas 
the  real  Messiah,  according  to  a  current  tradition,  would 
come  from  no  one  knew  where.  All  this  finds  expres- 
sion in  the  introduction  to  the  second  brief  discourse 
which  Jesus  delivered  regarding  his  origin.  The  au- 
dience was  probably  not  the  same  as  that  which  heard 
the  previous  address. 

THE   SECOND   DISCOURSE:   HIS    ORIGIN 

I.  This  was  known  to  them  as  far  as  parents,  town, 
and  province  were  concerned  (28  a) ; 
and  yet 
II.  This  was  virtually  unknown  to  them  since  they 
did  not  know  him — the  One  who  actually  sent 
him  (28  6). 

(a)  He  did  not  come  of  himself. 
He  knew  God  because  he  came  from  him  and 
was  his  messenger  (29). 
176 


According  to  the   Gospel  of  Jolm  Public  Ministry 

The  fact  that  Jesus  had  been  speaking  openly  and  freely  Their  dis- 
for  some  time  in  the  city  arrested  the  attention  of  some  of  the  jesuTto  *^ 
inhabitants,  who,  unlike  many  of  the  strangers  from  the  the  subject 
provinces,  knew  what  the  intentions  of  the  authorities  were  (25-27) 
regarding  him.     They  began  at  once  to  ask  the  reason, 
"It  surely  cannot  be  that  the  authorities  have  really  come  to 
know  that  he  is  the  Messiah?     That  certainly  were  im- 
possible, for  we  know  all  about  the  origin  of  this  man — his 
home  and  his  parents — but  no  one  knows  where  the  true 
Messiah  shall  come  from  when  he  comes."     Such  surmises 
and  conclusions  led  Jesus  to  speak  in  the  Temple  concern- 
ing his  origin.     **It  is  true,"  he  said,  "that  you  know  all 
about  my  birthplace,  parents,  and  home.     In  so  far  my  Their 
origin  is  indeed  known  to  you,  and  yet  this  knowledge  does  of  hil  ori|tn 
not  cover  all  the  facts  about  me.     There  is  a  uniqueness  ^over  a\i  the 
about  my  origin  which  you  have  yet  to  learn.     I  did  not  set  J^^^^^  . 
out  from  Nazareth  on  my  own  initiative  and  with  the  aim 
of  gratifying  a  personal,  self -conceived  ambition.     I  have 
been  sent  to  you,  and  that,  too,  by  one  who  is  the  true  send- 
er, whom  you  do  not  know.     The  reason  I  know  him  is  that 
I  have  my  being  from  him  and  he  has  sent  me. 

Such  claims  seemed  to  the  Jews  wholly  blasphemous,  Considera- 
and  as  a  result  they  sought  to  seize  him,  but  circumstances  pr°"vented 
held  them  back,  when  it  was  actually  proposed  to  lay  hands  laySg'^^™ 
upon  him.     No  one  quite  dared  to  make  the  attempt.     Po-  {;f^'[3i^3°2° 
litical  considerations  and  lingering  enthusiasms  among  the 
people  were  evidence  that  the  hour  for  his  death  had  not 
177 


Public  Ministry  The  Messages  of  Jesus 

yet  come.  Indeed,  in  the  crowd  that  day  there  were  many 
who  believed  on  him,  saying  to  one  another,  "The  Messiah, 
when  he  comes,  will  perform  no  more  miracles  than  this  man 
has  already  done." 

6.   The  Discourse  Regarding  His  Departure  (7 :  30-34) 

The  Pharisees,  who  were  probably  always  in  the 
crowds  about  Jesus,  watching  both  him  and  the  people, 
listened  with  eager  attention  to  the  discussions  that  were 
now  constantly  going  on,  and  felt  warranted  in  taking  an 
Officers  active  oflScial  step  toward  his  arrest.  Officers  were  sent 
the  Sanhe-  from  the  sanhedrin  (here  indicated  by  the  description, 
res? him"^  the  chief  priests  and  the  Pharisees)  with  orders  to  mingle 
in  the  crowds,  wait  for  a  favorable  opportunity  and  then, 
having  arrested  him,  to  bring  him  before  the  court.  See- 
ing these  officers  and  knowing  what  their  presence 
meant,  Jesus  delivers  the  third  brief  discourse  recorded 
in  this  chapter  on  the  subject  of  his  departure  and  des- 
tination. The  address  may  have  followed  the  other 
immediately  and  may  have  been  given  to  the  same 
audience.  It  is  not  necessary  to  suppose  this.  The 
chapter  seems  to  contain  a  suggestively  related  group- 
ing of  teachings  with  sufficient  historical  settings  to  ac- 
count for  them,  rather  than  a  narrative  of  the  phases  of 
one  scene,  and  the  reproduction  of  one  discourse. 

178 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John  Public  Ministry 


THE  THIRD   DISCOURSE:    HIS  DEPARTURE 

I.  The  time  of  it— after  a  little  while  (33  a). 
II.  The  terminal  of  it — the  One  who  sent  him  (33  h). 
III.  The  hopeless  separation  from  them  which  it  in- 
volved (34). 

(a)  They  shall  seek  for  him  and  not  find 

him  (34  a). 

(b)  They  cannot  come  where  he  is  (34  6). 

As  Jesus  saw  the  officials  from  the  sanhedrin  in  the  com-  The  pres- 
pany  gathered  about  him,  he  was  impressed  anew  with  the  officers 
foreboding  that  his  time  for  action  was  limited,  and  that  the  Jhl7hil^^"^ 
opportunity  for  all  who  heard  him  was  swiftly  passing  away.  JJ^^in  ^  Us 
I  shall  be  with  you  yet  a  little  while,  he  said,  and  then  I  end  (32) 
shall  go  to  the  one  who  sent  me.     You  are  hurrying  me  back 
to  the  Father  from  whom  I  brought  to  you  a  message  of 
salvation.     Later  in  your  distress  you  will  long  to  see  one  of 
the  days  of  the  Son  of  Man.     You  will  recall  what  I  have 
said  and  done,  and  you  will  "wish  once  again  to  see  if  it 
might  not  be  that  in  me  there  were  deliverance"  (Wescott), 
but  it  will  all  be  in  vain.     Because  you  will  not  understand  The  Jews 
me  or  accept  the  spiritual  blessing  which  I  offer  you,  you  ing  their 
are  simply  making  it  impossible  for  yourselves  to  be  with  me  °]^^  3^)^ 
where  I  shall  be.     Jesus,  in  saying  "where  I  shall  be,"  was 
speaking  of  his  glorified  spiritual  estate  in  heaven.    With 
179 


Public  Ministry  The  Messages  of  Jcsiis 

Their  blind  their  usual  blind  literalness  his  hearers  could  think  only  of 
(35)^  '^"  some  earthly  locality  to  which  he  intended  to  journey,  and 
so  they  contemptuously  questioned  among  themselves, 
Surely  he  does  not  intend,  after  we  have  rejected  him,  to 
try  the  role  of  the  Messiah  among  the  Jews  scattered  abroad 
in  the  Grecian  world,  and  that,  too,  with  the  purpose  of 
teaching  the  Greeks  themselves?  Such  a  plan  would  alone 
prove  that  he  is  no  true  Messiah.  But  even  if  he  does  mean 
something  so  absurd  as  this,  what  does  his  other  declaration 
mean,  ''Ye  shall  seek  me  and  ye  shall  not  find  me,  and 
where  I  am  ye  cannot  come?" 

7.  The  Discourse  Regarding  the  True  Fountain 
(7:35-38) 


fountain 


The  sugges-  Again  the  scene  changes.  The  last  day,  the  eighth 
when  Jesus  of  the  feast,  had  come.  On  this  day  the  people  left  the 
the  true  °"*  little  stfuctures  of  green  boughs  in  which  they  had  been 
li^dng  in  commemoration  of  their  tent  life  in  the  wilder- 
ness, went  to  the  Temple,  and  from  there  to  their  homes. 
The  usual  ceremony  of  the  previous  days  of  the  feast, 
namely,  the  bringing  of  water  from  the  pool  of  Siloam, 
w^as  omitted  on  this  day.  Perhaps  the  return  to  their 
homes  was  symbolical  of  the  entrance  of  the  people  into 
the  Promised  Land.  In  that  case  Jesus  used  the  time 
to  make  more  impressive  the  message  he  had  to  deliver. 
All  the  week  the  people  had  remembered  the  rock  in  the 
180 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John  Public  Ministry 

wilderness  out  of  which  gushed  refreshing  water.  On 
this  last  day  they  called  to  mind  the  entrance  of  the  na- 
tion into  the  Promised  Land,  blessed  with  perpetual 
living  springs.  Hence,  the  theme  of  the  brief  address  of 
the  Master,  when  he  stood  on  that  last  day  of  the  feast 
and  cried  out  to  the  assembled  people. 

THE  FOURTH  DISCOURSE:  THE  TRUE  FOUNTAIN 

I.  Available  for  every  thirsty  soul  (37). 
II.  Rendering  every  life  partaking  of  it  a  perennial 
blessing  (38). 

On  the  last  day  of  the  feast,  which  was  great  because  it 
was  kept  as  a  Sabbath,  Jesus  was  standing  where  he  could 
best  command  a  view  of  the  stream  of  people  passing  from 
the  booths  in  which  they  had  lived  for  seven  days,  to  the 
Temple.     The  sight  moved  him  to  use  the  Old  Testament 
experience  which  they  had  been  joyfully  commemorating, 
as  a  means  of  awakening  attention  and  of  offering  himself  to 
them,  and  so  he  cried  out,  "If  any  man  thirst  let  him  come  Jesus  the 
unto  me  and  drink."     In  me  shall  he  find  satisfaction  for  all  satisfying 
spiritual  need.     Nay,  he  shall  find  more  than  that,  for  com-  need  "* 
mittal  of  oneself  to  me  means  not  only  the  satisfaction  of  ^^^'  ^^^ 
one's  own  soul,  but  also  the  blessing  and  enrichment  of 
others.     Every  life  in  which  faith  abides  shall  be  as  a  spring 
of  living  water  sending  out  its  life-giving  stream. 
i8i 


Public  Ministry  The  Messages  of  Jesus 

8.  Comment  oj  the  Evangelist  (7 :  39) 

The  word  The  word  of  Jesus  about  the  believer's  life  being  like  a 
t^erp?ltld°as  Hfe-giving  spring  is  to  be  understood  as  having  its  possibility 
thi^Holf  *"  in  that  gift  of  the  Holy  Spirit  which  was  later  to  be  realized 
Spirit  (39)    by  all  believers.     The  dispensation  of  the  Spirit  had  not 

yet  begun,  nor  could  it  begin  until  Jesus  had  been  fully 

revealed  by  his  ascent  to  the  Father. 


9.  A  General  Summary  oj  the  Effect  of  These  Ad- 
dresses upon  the  Multitude  and  upon  the 
Officials  (7:40-52) 

Varying  It  is  One  of  the  aims  of  John's  Gospel  to  show  us  the  atti- 

garding^  ^^  tudes  of  men  toward  the  Messiah.  In  a  few  words,  there- 
(40-43)  ^ore,  we  are  given  the  outcome  of  the  teaching  at  the  Feast 
of  Tabernacles.  Some  who  listened  concluded  that  Jesus 
was  the  prophet  who  was  foretold  in  the  Old  Testament 
(Deut.  18: 15).  Others  said,  "He  is  the  Messiah,"  to  be 
met  at  once  by  the  objection  of  still  others,  who  asked  if  it 
was  not  simply  impossible  that  the  Messiah  should  come 
from  Galilee  in  view  of  the  declaration  of  Scripture  that  he 
should  spring  from  the  seed  of  David,  and  should  come  from 
Bethlehem,  David's  home.  The  difference  of  opinion  led 
to  a  serious  division  in  the  crowd,  and  among  those  who  re- 
pudiated his  claims  were  some  who  were  willing  to  help  the 
officers  sent  by  the  Sanhedrin  (see  32)  to  arrest  him,  but  the 
182 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John  Public  Ministry 

admiring  attitude  of  the  officers  themselves,  and  the  sym- 
pathy of  many  with  Jesus,  frustrated  the  purpose  of  his 
enemies.     No  one  laid  hands  upon  him. 

While  the  crowd,  in  the  street,  was  disputing  the  claim  The  san- 
of  Messiahship,  the  sanhedrin  was  impatiently  awaiting  dfgnant  be- 
the  return  of  their  officers.     At  last  they  came,  but  with  no  XclrsVe-' 
prisoner;  and  upon  the  indignant  inquiry  as  to  why  they  had  qu^jIsus 
not  brought  him,  they  had  to  confess  that  they,  too,  had  been  (45-49) 
carried  away  by  enthusiasm  for  the  man.     "Never  has  a 
man  spoken  as  he  did,"  they  said.     "What!"  exclaimed  the 
angered  Pharisees,  "have  you,  too,  been  befooled?    It  is 
incredible.     There  is  not  a  single  man  among  the  rulers  or 
Pharisees  who  has  faith  in  him.     It  is  only  the  accursed 
rabble,  ignorant  of  the  law,  that  listens  to  him.     You  ought 
to  have  kept  your  heads  and  arrested  him." 

The  suggestion  about  the  law  led  Nicodemus  (who,  al-  The  objec- 
though  one  of  the  Pharisees,  had  gone  to  Jesus  by  night)  to  Nicodemus 
speak.     "Let  me  call  your  attention,"  said  he,  "to  a  prin-  picion  it 
ciple  of  the  law  which  you  yourselves  are  ignoring,  namely,  upon\im 
its  refusal  to  judge  a  man  before  it  has  heard  him  and  known  (so-52) 
what  he  is  doing.     Does  it  not  explicitly  say :    'Thou  shalt 
not  take  up  a  false  report'  (Ex.  23 :  i);  hear  the  cause  be- 
tween your  brethren  and  judge  righteously  between  every 
man  and  his  brother  "  (Deut.  i :  16)  ?    The  Pharisees,  how- 
ever, were  in  no  mood  to  consider  any  such  righteous  check 
upon  their  rash  procedure.     They  construed  the  objection 
as  a  sign  of  personal  sympathy,  and  contemptuously  asked 

183 


Public  Ministry 


The  Messages  of  Jestis 


Nicodemus  if  he,  too,  was  a  Galilean,  like  the  rest  of  this 
man's  followers.  If  you  will  examine  our  history  you  will 
discover  that  GaHlee  is  not  the  true  country  of  the  prophets. 
That  settles  this  case. 


Time  of  fol- 
lowing 
scenes  un- 
certain 


Teaching 

probably 

condensed 

Johannine 

rendering 


THE    RUPTURE    IN    JERUSALEM    (8:12-59) 

I.  Introductory 

Omitting  verses  1-11  which  are  considered  elsewhere 
(see  p.  361),  we  have  in  this  chapter  a  presentation  of 
the  Messiah  in  scene  and  circumstances  much  hke  those 
in  chapter  7.  The  exact  time  (of  the  scenes)  cannot 
be  stated.  Jesus  continued  probably  some  time  in  Jeru- 
salem after  the  Feast  of  Tabernacles  was  over  and  the 
events  tere  narrated  are  probably  selected  from  many 
that  occurred  in  those  days.  So,  too,  the  teaching  is  in 
all  likelihood  a  condensed  Johannine  rendering  of  the 
words  of  Jesus  in  which  we  find,  now  an  actual  dehver- 
ance  of  the  Master,  now  the  substance  of  an  address,  now 
an  explanation  of  the  evangelist.  The  chapter  bristles 
with  opposition  to  the  claims  of  Jesus  and  is  rich  in  the 
e\'idence  of  an  eye-witness  of  the  scenes  it  depicts.  It 
gives  the  actual  rupture  of  Jesus  with  the  Jews.  The 
discourses  are  made  up  largely  of  reminiscences  of  im- 
portant emphatic  statements,  which  came  in  the  course 
184 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John  Public  Ministry 

of  prolonged  discussions,  hence  the  quick  change  of 
theme  and  the  difficulty  at  times  of  getting  the  connec- 
tion of  thought.     The  accuracy  of  the  reminiscences  is 
vouched  for  in  the  results  they  brought  about.     The 
crisis  in  Jerusalem  came  out  of  the  same  disappointment  Jewish 
that  had  caused  the  crisis  in  Galilee.     The  teachings  in  EukedT 
this  chapter  show  us  how  Jewish  pride  and  expectations  dlTms  in- 
were  rebuked  and  how  all  merely  Jewish  claims  were  sufficient 
reckoned  insufficient.     The  true  Messiah  spoke  and 
never  did  it  seem  more  ideally  true  than  when  the  evan- 
gelist saw  him  confronting  the  confessedly  best  men  of 
the  nation  with  claims  and  conceptions  which  had  in 
them  no  trace  of  earthly  substance.     The  whole  chap- 
ter may  be  conveniently  divided  into  three  parts :  12-20, 
21-30,  and  31-59. 

2.  The  First  Discourse :     Christ* s  Witness — /  Am 
the  Light  of  the  World  (8:12-20) 

I.  The  sufficient  ground  of  this  witness  (14). 
II.  The  legahty  of  it  (18)  . 
III.  The  reason  why  it  is  not  accepted  (19). 

This  address  was  delivered  in  the  treasury  in  the  court  of  The  place 

suKKestixiff 

the  women  where  stood  the  great  golden  candelabra.  Dur-  the  address 
ing  the  feast  these  had  been  Hghted  in  commemoration  of 
the  pillar  of  fire  which  had  guided  Israel  in  the  wilderness. 

185 


Public  Ministry 


TJie  Messages  of  fesus 


Jesus  the 
light  of  the 
world  (12) 


What  true 
witness  in- 
volves 
(13-15) 


The  sight  of  them  suggested  the  sjnnbol  which  Jesus  now 
uses,  applying  again  the  thing  commemorated  to  himself.  I 
am  the  guiding  hght,  not  of  Israel  simply,  but  of  the  world. 
He  who  follows  me  shall  not  walk  in  the  darkness  of  sin  and 
selfishness  but  shall  have  that  perfect  revelation  of  moral 
good  which  is  life-giving. 

These  lofty  words  seemed  to  the  Pharisees  but  mere  self- 
assertion.  *'Thou  bearest  witness  concerning  thyself ;  thy 
witness  is  not  true,"  they  objected.  In  reply  Jesus  gave 
them  the  basal  reason  for  the  truthfulness  of  his  witness. 
True  witness  even  to  a  single  fact  in  the  spiritual  life  in- 
volves a  knowledge  of  the  past  and  of  the  future.  In  the 
past  lie  the  manifold  elements  out  of  which  the  present 
grew;  in  the  future  lies  the  revelation  of  what  the  present 
implicitly  contains.  He  can  be  witness  to  himself  who  has 
such  knowledge  of  his  own  being  (Westcott).  I  know 
whence  I  came  and  whither  I  am  going.  You  do  not. 
Hence  you  make  your  judgment  according  to  the  flesh  or 
simply  from  appearances  and  they  cannot  be  sufficient. 
Why  his  Personal  censure  seems  to  be  your  way  of  avoiding  dis- 

com^et'^^  ^^  cussion,  repHed  the  Pharisees.     No,  said  Jesus,  /  judge  no 
^^^^  man,  and  yet,  if  /  judge,  my  judgment  is  exact  and  perfect, 

since  I  am  not  making  it  of  myself  alone,  but  am  expressing 
the  judgment  of  the  Father  who  sent  me,  and  whose  mind  I 
know  because  of  my  intimate  spiritual  fellowship  with  him. 
Also  for  this  very  reason  I  am  satisfying  the  requirement 
of  your  law  (Deut.  17:6;  19:15)  that  two  witnesses  shall 
186 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John  Public  Ministry 

make  valid  a  testimony.     I  am  myself  one  of  the  witnesses  He  satisfies 
and  my  Father  who  sent  me  is  the  other.     Any  deceiver  of^theiriaw 
could    make    that    assumption,    they    derisively    replied.  [wo^wiT-^ 
Where  is   thy  Father?    Let  him   make  himself  heard,  ('f^lj^) 
Alas!  said  Jesus,  it  is  impossible  to  meet  your  demand,  for 
ye  know  neither  me  nor  the  Father.     I  am  come  as  a  revela- 
tion of  him  to  you  and  if  you  had  really  spiritually  known 
me  ye  would  have  known  the  Father. 

It  is  to  be  noted  that  these  words  were  spoken  close  by 
the  treasury  and  also  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  meeting- 
place  of  the  Sanhedrin,  that  is,  close  to  the  headquarters  of 
his  enemies,  and  still  no  one  laid  hands  upon  him,  for  his 
hour  had  not  yet  come. 

3.  The  Second  Discourse:    The  Seriousness  of  the 
Difference  Between  the  Jews  and  Jesus  (8:21-30) 

Just  when  this  second  conversation  took  place  cannot 
be  definitely  made  out.     The  words  of  Jesus  are  ad- 
dressed to  the  hostile  hierarchy  against  whom  he  was 
being  protected  (20)  and  emphasize  the  sad  spiritual 
condition  of  this  chief  tribunal  of  the  nation.     The  Jo-  The  johan- 
hannine  impress  may  be  best  gathered  from  the  com-  press^Spon 
ment  of  Sanday  upon  the  section.     ''The  connection  the  section 
appears  to  be  confused  by  that  reiterated  self-assertion 
which  was  indeed  there,  but  which  the  evangelist  re- 
gards somewhat  too  exclusively.     We  can  well  believe 

187 


Public  Ministry  The  Messages  of  Jesus 

that  there  was  more  in  the  original  of  the  winning  pathos 
of  the  lament  over  Jerusalem  (Luke  19 :  42-44),  in  which 
case  we  could  perhaps  better  understand  the  concluding 
statement,  'As  he  spake  these  words,  many  believed  on 
him."*  The  compact  character  of  the  thought  makes 
analysis  difficult.  The  following  outhne  will  show  the 
general  relation  of  the  statements  made  by  the  Master : 

THE    SERIOUSNESS    OF    THE     DIFFERENCE     BE- 
TWEEN THE   JEWS   AND   HIM 

I.  In  reference  to  their  destiny.  They  cannot 
come  to  him  (21);  all  their  seeking  after  him 
shall  but  issue  in  death  in  the  midst  of  their 
sin  (21). 

II.  In  reference  to  their   innermost   nature.     They 

are  "from  beneath "  while  he  is  "from  above  " 
(23) .  This  difference  can  be  entirely  removed 
by  faith;  unless  it  be  so  removed,  death  in  the 
midst  of  their  sin  is  the  issue  (24). 

III.  In  reference  to  judgment.     They  are  yet  to  be 

the  subjects  of  many  sentences  of  judg- 
ment (26). 

(a)  These  judgments  are  part  of  the  mes- 
sage of  him  who  is  true  (26). 
(6)  They  must  therefore  be  spoken,  pain- 
ful though  they  may  be  (26). 
i88 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John   Public  Ministry 

Conclusion: 

The  time  is  coming  when  you  shall  understand  this 
radical  difference  between  you  and  me  and  also  that 
my  claims  are  true.  Five  distinct  claims  are  asserted 
in  verses  28,  29. 

Because  of  God's  protection  he  was  again  enabled  to 
speak  openly  in  the  city,  and  this  time  he  began  by  saying 
to  the  Jews  (i.  e.,  to  his  opponents) :  I  am  going  away,  and 
the  time  is  coming  when  ye  will  seek  me  as  a  deliverer  from 
impending  national  destruction,  but  ye  shall  die  in  your  sin. 
Jesus  was  speaking  really  of  their  alienation  from  God  and 
of  the  utter  impossibility  of  their  being  where  he  was  to  be; 
because  of  this  alienation  heaven  was  closed  against  them. 
As  usual  they  missed  entirely  the  spiritual  import  of  his  The  Jews 
words  and  they  contemptuously  asked  if  he  was  going  to  stand  his 
commit  suicide  and  thus  make  it  impossible  for  them  to  his^depart-° 
follow  him,  for  they  certainly  had  no  desire  to  be  found  in  "^i,  22) 
the  hell  of  suicides.     Ignoring  their  ill-timed  jeer,  Jesus 
proceeded  to  explain  why  their  destiny  is  so  utterly  different 
from  his.     They  belong  to  a  totally  different  moral  order. 
An  abyss  separates  life  in  God  from  life  in  the  world  of  sin. 
By  the  whole  measurement  of  this  abyss  are  they  apart. 
They  are  "from  beneath,"  from  this  world;  he  is  ''from  Why  they 
above,"  from  God.     Both  terms  denote  in  spatial  relations  come  to 
origin  and  moral  character,  and  so  surely  is  destiny  also  im-  (2™  24) 
pHed  that  those  who  are  "from  beneath,"  unless  by  faith 
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Public  Ministry  The  Messages  of  Jesus 

they  commit  themselves  to  him  who  is  from  above  and  who 

alone  can  save  them  from  their  sins,  will  and  must  die 

They  ask      in  their  sins.     In  unbelieving  scorn  they  then  asked,  Who 

and  Jesus'     art  thou?   Speak  out  plainly.     His  reply,  in  the  form  of  a 

inaking^  °     sad  exclamation,  was,  Why  do  I  even  so  much  as  speak  with 

understand  y^^'     ^'^  seems  fruitless  to  try  and  bring  you  by  my  words 

(25, 26)        ^Q  ^  ^pyg  knowledge  of  myself.     I  still  have  many  things  to 

say  concerning  you  and  many  judgments  to  pronounce 

upon  you.     Indeed,  as  long  as  you  continue  in  opposition 

to  me  my  very  witness  to  the  truth  must  be  a  judgment 

against  you.     But,  painful  as  my  mission  is  to  both  you  and 

me,  I  cannot  decline  to  accomplish  it.     He  who  sent  me 

upon  it  is  true,  and  I  am  here  to  utter  to  the  world  what  I 

have  heard  from  him. 

In  this  conversation  Jesus  had  not  identified  "him  who 
They  ut-  sent  me"  with  "the  Father,"  and  so  his  hearers,  either  be- 
see  that  he  cause  they  were  thinking  only  of  an  earthly  deliverer  or  be- 
to  re^ve'aUo  cause  of  their  persistent  unwillingness  to  believe,  failed  to 
Father'^(2  7)  P^rceive  that  the  whole  aim  of  his  teaching  was  to  reveal  the 
Father. 

Because  of  this  want  of  perception  Jesus  was  led  to  say, 
When  you  shall  have  lifted  up  the  Son  of  Man  (i.  e.,  when 
by  placing  him  upon  the  cross,  a  place  shall  thereby  be 
When  they   given  him  on  high  with  the  Father),  then  certain  facts  will 
to  an  be  clear  to  you,  namely,  that  I  am  the  Messiah,  that  not  a 

standing  of  single  Utterance  of  mine  is  self-originated  or  self-glorifying, 
&30)        ^^^  ^s  wholly  the  expression  of  the  Father's  teaching,  and 

190 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John   Public  Ministry 

that  he  who  sent  me  is  with  me;  that  he  has  not  left  me 
alone,  because  at  every  moment  I  do  that  which  pleases 
him. 

This  was  his  answer  to  the  rulers.  It  was  provocative 
of  deeper  opposition  on  the  part  of  many;  some,  however,  as 
they  listened  were  favorably  impressed  and  for  a  time  at 
least  (see  below)  accepted  him. 

4.   The  Third  Discourse  (8:31-59) 

The  point  of  connection  between  this  section  and 
what  precedes  is  in  the  statement  that  "many  be- 
lieved." Jesus  now  addressed  himself  to  "the  Jews  The  char- 
who  had  believed,"  but  it  is  altogether  probable  that  the  audience 
audience  was  larger  than  these  believers.  While  the 
change  from  faith  to  intense,  murderous  opposition  is 
startling,  it  is  not  incredible.  The  possibility  of  it  lies  in 
the  word  "  Jews  "  which  the  writer  is  careful  to  use.  It 
was  to  the  Jews  who  retained  their  national  hopes  to 
whom  Jesus  was  speaking.  As  has  well  been  said,  the 
state  of  mind  here  revealed  is  very  nearly  that  of  the 
Galilean  crowds  exhibited  in  chapter  6.  It  is  because 
of  this  that  Weiss  finds  in  this  section  the  depiction  of  the 
crisis  in  Jerusalem  as  regards  the  people.     There  is  in  Evidences 

of  3,11  CVC" 

the   appeal   to   descend  from  Abraham,    in   the   liter-  witness 
alisms  which  occur  in  the  interpretation  of  demonic 
possession  and  in  the  fierce  refusal  of  such  claims  as  im- 
191 


Public  Ministry  The  Messages  of  Jesus 

ply  an  assumption  of  the  divine,  clear  evidence  of  an  eye- 
witness. On  the  other  hand  there  is  also  evidence  of 
compression  and  of  fragmentariness  in  the  account.  The 
writer  has  given  only  the  great  outstanding  facts  of  an 
eventful  scene  and,  in  his  own  way,  the  substance  of  the 
Lord's  teaching  with  perhaps  here  and  there,  as  in  38, 
Marks  of  42,  44,  47,  instructive  elaborations  of  his  own.  There 
impress'"^  is  a  tone  in  much  of  it  which  makes  us  think  of  John, 
that  son  of  thunder,  who  once  wished  to  call  down  fire  on 
an  inhospitable  Samaritan  village,  and  who,  in  the  first 
epistle  bearing  his  name,  deals  in  short,  sharp,  straight- 
edged  descriptions  of  character  and  destiny.  '  *  Ye  are  of 
your  father  the  devil  and  the  lusts  of  your  father  it  is 
your  will  to  do."  "Because  I  say  the  truth,  ye  believe 
me  not."  "Ye  hear  not  because  ye  are  not  of  God." 
"If  I  should  say  I  know  him  not,  I  would  be  like  unto 
you  a  liar."  The  section  presents  a  clear  picture  of  the 
inextinguishable  national  pride  of  the  Jews.  There 
are  three  natural  subdivisions  in  the  narrative : 

(i)    Encouragement  and  Warning  to   he  Faithful  (8:31-36) 

First  subdivision  (31-36) :  a  conversation  containing 
an  encouragement  and  warning  to  those  who  had  mani- 
fested faith  in  him. 


192 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John  Public  Ministry 

THEME:  ABIDING  IN  THE  WORLD 
I.  Its  significance — true  discipleship  (31). 
II.  Its  issue : 

(a)  Knowledge  of  the  truth  (32). 
(6)  Freedom. 
The  objection  of  the  Jews  (33):     We  have  always 
been  free.     The  reply  of  Jesus  (34-36) : 

(1)  The  service  of  sin  is  slavery  to  sin. 
They  were  in  slavery. 

(2)  Sonship  is  the  very  opposite  of  slavery; 

only  the  Son  can  make  them  sons. 
If  the  Son  gave  them    freedom    through 
sonship,  they  would  be  free  indeed. ^ 


More  than  once  Jesus  was  compelled  to  scrutinize  the  The  neces- 
sity of  test- 
ing his 
hearers' 
faith  Oia) 


faith  in  him  expressed  by  his  hearers.  Either  it  might  have  fng  his^^^ 
a  false  or  insufficient  basis  (2 :  24;  6 :  15)  or  it  might  be  tinct-  ^^^''^'■^ 
ured  with  mistaken  and  misleading  hopes.  Only  as  it  had 
some  perception  of  his  real  character  and  looked  to  spiritual 
ideals  could  it  be  trusted  to  work  out  true  and  saving  issues. 
It  was  necessary,  therefore,  to  put  the  faith  of  those  in 
Jerusalem  who  had  confessed  belief  in  him  to  the  test;  con- 
sequently he  had  said.  If  you  abide  in  my  word,  if  by  con-  Conse- 
tinual  obedience  you  transmute  my  word  into  life,  you  are  abfcTing^in 
truly  my  disciples.     Two  results  will  follow.     You  shall  ('3i^°'2^) 

1  The  thought  in  34-36  is  quite  elliptical;  Sanday  finds  in  this  whole  dis- 
cussion reminiscences  of  Paul  (Rom.  6:  16-23;  Gal.  4:  30,  31;  5:  i). 


Public  Ministry 


The  Messages  of  Jesus 


of  slavery 
(33) 


have  a  vital  understanding  of  those  relations  between  God 
and  man  which  constitute  saving  truth,  and  that  truth  thus 
vitally  understood  will  set  you  free,  on  the  principle  that 
obedience  to  the  law  insures  liberty.  At  this  point  the 
mixed  nature  of  the  faith  which  was  being  tested  first  ap- 
pears.    The  hearers  were  not  thinking  of  spiritual  freedom. 

His  hearers  They  resented  the  implication  that  they  were  in  bondage. 

imputation  We  are  the  seed  of  Abraham  and  have  never  been  in  bond- 
age to  any  one.  The  boast  did  not  refer  to  their  pohtical 
history  or  status,  but  to  their  social  position,  for  it  was  only 
rarely  that  a  Jew  was  reduced  to  the  condition  of  a  slave. 
How  can  you  say  that  we  shall  be  free  ?  The  question  gave 
Jesus  his  opportunity  to  strike  out  from  their  "faith"  any 
element  which  was  not  purely  spiritual.  Let  me  tell  you, 
he  said  in  solemn  earnestness  (Amen,  Amen),  that  he  who 
commits  sin,  that  is,  lives  a  life  of  sin,  is  the  slave  of  sin. 
Now  a  slave  has  no  permanent  footing  in  the  house;  he  may 
be  thrust  out  at  will  and  sold.  Only  a  son  has  an  abiding 
relationship  which  makes  him  participator  in  all  the  father's 
possessions.  Though  claiming  to  be  of  the  household  of 
God  (i.  e.,  members  of  the  theocracy),  you  are  all  with  re- 
spect to  God  slaves,  for  you  are  all  in  the  service  of  sin.  Only 
spiritual  union  with  God  constitutes  sonship.  If,  therefore, 
I,  the  Son  in  the  Father's  house,  bring  you  to  spiritual  son- 
ship  with  God  (and  that  is  my  whole  mission),  I  shall  make 
you  free,  and  that  freedom,  inasmuch  as  it  is  from  sin,  is 
freedom  in  very  truth. 

194 


What  he 
means  by 

slavery 
(34-36) 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John  Public  Ministry 


(2)  A  Conversation  Showing  What  Their  Claim  0}  Descent 
jrom  Abraham  Was  Worth  (8:37-47) 

THE  SPIRITUAL  PARENTAGE  OF  THE  JEWS 

I.  It  is  not  in  Abraham.     Since : 

(a)  Their   works   are    not   such   as   Abraham 
would  do,  for  example,  their  endeavor 
to  kill  him  (39,  40). 
(6)  Their  works  are  the  works  of  their  father 
(41). 
II.  It  is  not  in  God.     Since : 

(a)  They  would  then  love  him  (Jesus)  for  he 
came  from    God,  not  of  his  own  initia- 
tive, but  as  sent  (42). 
(6)  They  are  the  children  of  the  devil  (44). 
(c)  They  do  not  believe  him  who  speaks  the 

truth  (45). 
{d)  They  who  are  children  of  God  give  ear  to 
the  words  of  God  (47) . 

To  come  back  to  your  assertion  that  you  are  the  seed  of  They  have 
Abraham.     Well  do  I  know  that  you  are.     It  is  not  your  kinship  "^ 
physical  descent,  however,  which  is  for  a  moment  in  ques-  ham  (38)^ 
tion;  it  is  rather  whether  you  have  any  spiritual  kinship  with 
him.     The  fact  that  you  are  seeking  to  kill  me  shows  that 
my  word  has  made  no  progress  in  your  hearts.     It  has  fallen 

195 


Public  Ministry  The  Messages  of  Jesus 

upon  the  stony  ground  of  prejudice  and  unspiritual  desire. 
On  the  principle  that  some  adopt  their  fathers'  thoughts 
you  are  doing  what  has  been  told  you  by  your  father  and 
you  are  rejecting  that  which  I  tell  you  out  of  my  very  vision 
of  God,  my  Father. 
No  child  of      Resenting  the  imphcation  of  other  fatherhood,  the  Jews 
woSddoas  reply,  Abraham  is  our  father.     If  ye  were  the  children  of 
domg^^'^^      Abraham,  responded  Jesus,  ye  would  do  the  works  of  Abra- 
(39. 40)        ham.     He  was  not  only  a  man  of  beheving  obedience,  but 
he  cherished  a  reverential  affection  for  those  who  were  the 
messengers  of  divine  truth.     You,  on  the  contrary,  are 
seeking  to  put  me  to  death,  and  the  reason  of  your  bitter  hos- 
tility is  that  I  am  a  man  who  has  told  you  the  truth  which 
I  have  heard  from  God. 

In  reality  you  are  acting  from  hostility  to  God.     Abra- 
ham's conduct  was  the  very  opposite  of  this.     Your  in- 
spiration is  from  quite  another  source;  you  are  doing  the 
deeds  of  your  father. 
Their  claim      ReaUzing  now  that  Jesus  was  speaking  of  spiritual  par- 
children  of    entage  they  hasten  to  assert  again  the  correctness  of  their 
cause''^        lineage.     You  say  that  spiritually  we  are  not  the  children 
AbrlhTm  ^    of  Abraham  while  you  admit  that  literally  we  are.     Thereby 
(41)  you  contradict  yourself.     By  the  very  fact  that  we  are  the 

children  of  Abraham  we  are  the  children  of  God,  for  Jeho- 
vah was  the  God  of  Abraham.  Sonship  in  God  is  mediated 
by  sonship  in  Abraham.  We  are  the  children  of  God's 
house  and  in  the  direct  line  of  promise.  Our  sonship  has 
196 


Accordifig  to  the  Gospel  of  John  Public  Ministry 

not  been  polluted  by  idolatry,  we  are  not  the  outcome  of 
fornication.     We  have  our  Father,  even  God. 

In  refutation  of  all  this  Jesus  insists  upon  the  moral  The  refuta- 
proof  of  such  claims.     If  God  were  your  Father,  you  would  daTm 
love  me,  for  I  came  forth  from  God,  from  a  heavenly  exist-  ^'^^'  ^'^' 
ence  with  him,  and  through  incarnation  I  am  here.     What  is 
more,  I  am  not  come  at  my  own  suggestion  nor  to  do  my 
own  work,  but  he  (the  God  from  whom  I  have  come)  sent 
me.     Surely  if  you  were  true  children  of  God,  you  would  not 
be  hostile  to  me.    Why  is  it  that  ye  cannot  perceive  the  divine  Why  they 
accent  in  all  my  speech?     I  will  tell  you.     It  is  because  you  really  hear 
cannot  really  hear  my  teaching;  you  are  spiritually  deaf  to  (4^-47) 
my  message;  morally  incapable  of  understanding  it.     In- 
stead of  being  the  spiritual  children  of  Abraham,  you  have 
as  your  father  the  devil,  whose  desires  you  deliberately 
choose  to  accomplish.     Through  the  whole  history  of  man 
from  the  very  beginning  he  has  been  a  murderer  and  a  hater 
of  truth.     His  character  is  utterly  truthless  and  so  he  will 
have  nothing  to  do  with  the  realm  of  truth.     Whenever  he 
utters  what  is  false  he  speaks  out  of  his  own  nature,  since 
he  is  a  liar  and  also  the  father  of  the  liar.     The  real  reason, 
therefore,  why  you  do  not  believe  me  is  that  /  speak  the 
truth.     Is  there  any  one  of  you  who  from  my  conduct  brings 
home  to  my  conscience  the  charge  of  sin  ?     If  then  you  can 
find  nothing  in  my  life  which  in  any  way  falsifies  my  teach- 
ing, why  do  you  not  believe  me  when  I  speak  the  truth? 
There  is  no  "why"  except  in  yourselves.     It  is  a  fact  of  ex- 
197 


Public  Ministry  The  Messages  of  Jesus 

perience  that  the  spiritual  within  a  man  reveals  the  spiritual 
outside  of  him ;  he  who  is  in  fellowship  with  God  as  his  child 
hears  the  words  of  God.  Herein  is  the  cause  of  your  dul- 
ness  of  hearing.     Ye  are  not  the  children  of  God. 

(3)  The  Preeminence  oj  Jesus  (8:48-59) 

A  conversation  in  which  Jesus  meets  the  personal 
abuse  of  the  Jews  with  calm,  exalted  assertions  of  his 
claims. 
The  In  this  subdivision  w^e  have  presented  to  us  a  typical 

method  of  i       1       p  i  i  1  c         i    1 

men  whose  method  oi  men  whose  argument  has  been  reiuted  by 
hS^been  Unanswerable  reasoning,  the  resort  to  personal  abuse. 
abiTmeT  ^^  ^^  ^^  immediate  precursor  of  violence,  as  it  marks 
the  rapid  rise  of  feeling.  Passion  dictates  when  reason 
is  humiliated.  Over  against  the  charge  that  he  has  "a 
devil"  and  that  he  is  a  blasphemous  egotist,  Jesus 
calmly  states  his  true  purpose  and  position.  These  last 
words  bring  the  open  rupture.  In  the  whole  conversa- 
tion there  is  repeated  cAddence  of  "local  truth  and 
accuracy"  and  the  stern  tone  that  is  given  to  all  is  by 
Sanday  considered  a  mark  of  Johannine  impress.  "To 
the  Apostle  the  darkness  that  hung  over  Jerusalem  (by 
reason  of  Calvary)  was  never  removed;  even  in  his  old 
age  and  in  the  peace  of  his  Asiatic  home,  it  still  cast 
its  shadow  over  his  recording  page."  The  changing 
themes  make  it  impossible  to  gather  all  the  teaching 
under  a  single  head. 

198 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John   Public  Ministry 

Jesus  had  not  only  denied  that  they  were  the  children  of  They 
God,  but  made  them  out  to  be  children  of  the  devil,  and  all  with^insa" 
because  they  would  not  listen  to  his  truth.     Such  judgments  '*^  ^^^^ 
could  but  be  the  outcome  of  an  hostility  which  was  virtually 
insane.     We  make  a  just  estimate  of  you,  do  we  not,  they 
asked,  when  we  say  that  thou  art  a  Samaritan  and  demented 
at  that?     No,  replied  Jesus,  I  am  not  demented.     It  is 
neither  hatred  nor  mental  derangement  which  impels  me  to 
speak  so  of  you  and  to  you.     All  I  have  said  springs  from  His  motive 
my  desire  to  honor  my  Father — to  exalt  his  holiness,  while  JJiamly  lo^ 
you  for  your  part  and  on  this  very  account  load  me  with  win"iook° 
insults.     These,  however,  do  not  really  trouble  me;  I  am  honor^^^ 
not  seeking  my  own  glory.     There  is  one  who  is  seeking  it,  (49-si) 
and  in  seeking  it  he  is  judging  all  who  come  into  contact 
with  me  and  my  teaching.     And  that  you  may  know  the 
truth  of  this  let  me  say  to  you  earnestly  and  emphatically 
that  if  any  one  keeps  my  word,  by  obeying  it  he  shall  never 
see  death.     These  last  words  but  confirmed  the  Jews  in 
their  judgment  regarding  his  sanity.     "Now  we  know  that  A  further 
thou  art  demented,"  they  said.     Abraham  is  dead  and  so  S  orhis 
are  the  prophets,  and  they  kept  the  word  of  God.     And  yet  ("s^Ti J 
you  say  that  if  a  man  shall  keep  your  word,  he  shall  never 
taste  of  death.     Surely  you  are  not  greater  than  our  father 
Abraham,  who,  even  though  he  was  Abraham,  died — are 
you?     Or  than  the  prophets  who  are  also  dead?     Are  you 
equipped  with  a  greater  power  against  death  than  they? 
Whom  do  you  make  yourself?     Taking  up  the  last  question 
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Public  Ministry  The  Messages  of  Jesus 

He  makes     first,  Jesus  replied,  I  make  myself  nothing.     If  I,  in  obe- 
nothing;       dience  to  my  own  impulse  and  simply  for  my  own  sake,  glo- 
honofs  Mm  ^ify  myself,  my  glory  is  nothing  but  vainglory.     It  is  the 
(54. 55)        Father  who  gives  me  whatever  glory  I  have,  the  very  one 
who  you  say  is  your  God,  and  yet  with  all  the  teaching  of 
the  law  and  the  prophets  and  especially  of  the  Son,  you 
have  not  through  fellowship  with  him  learned  to  know  him. 
Because  of  my  increasing  fellowship  with  him  I  do  know 
him.     If  I  should  say  that  I  did  not,  I  would  be  a  liar,  just 
as  you  are  liars  when  you  say  that  you  do.     I  know  him 
intimately  and  completely  and  I  keep  his  word.     So  much 
in  reply  to  your  question  as  to  whom  I  make  myself.     A 
word  now  about  Abraham.     You  asked  me  if  I  am  greater 
than  he?     Yes,  for  he,  your  father  from  whom  you  claim 
descent  and  in  whom  you  trust,  exulted  in  the  prospect 
Abraham     of  Seeing  my  day.     Promise  was  made  to  him  that  in 
saw  IS   ay  j^.^   ^  ^^  families    of    the    earth    should   invoke    for 
themselves    a    blessing    like    his    own.     It  was  a  Mes- 
sianic promise  connecting  future  salvation  with  his  seed. 
When  Isaac  came  to  him,  the  son  of  his  old  age,  Abraham 
saw  such  a  fulfilment  of  the  promise  as  to  virtually  open  to 
his  faith  a  vision  of  the  day  of  the  Messiah  and  he  was  glad. 
The  Jews  perceiving  nothing  in  the  expression  about  "see- 
ing his  day"  except  a  literal  vision  of  the  earthly  life  of  Jesus, 
exclaimed  in  surprise.  You  are  not  fifty  years  old,  and  have 
you  seen  Abraham  ?     Before  Abraham  was  born,  said  Jesus 
very  solemnly  to  them,  yes,  from  all  eternity,  is  my  being,  my 
200 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John   Public  Ministry 

existence.     It  was  to  the  Jews  virtually  an  assertion  of  Jesus  as- 
equality  with  the   great  "I  am"  of  the  Old  Testament  Ssten^ce 
Scriptures  and  hence  unmitigated  blasphemy.    They  picked  ^^^^ 
up  stones  to  throw  at  him,  but  Jesus  slipped  away  un- 
perceived  out  of  the  temple,  helped,  doubtless,  by  friends 
in  the  crowd. 

VI 

THE  CURE  OF  THE  MAN  BORN  BLIND  (9:1-38) 

I.  Introductory 

The  opening  verse  of  this  chapter  seems  to  connect  The  time 
it  with  what  immediately  precedes,  in  which  case  we  genera?  cir- 
should  still  be  at  Jerusalem,  just  after  the  Feast  of  Taber-  ^umstances 
nacles.  The  ninth  and  tenth  chapters  are,  however, 
closely  connected,  and  10 :22  fixes  the  time  as  that  of  the 
Feast  of  Dedication,  two  months  later.  Jesus  had  in 
the  meanwhile  said  good-by  to  Galilee.  We  do  not  know 
what  brought  him  back  to  Jerusalem  at  this  time.  Al- 
ready the  leaders  of  the  people  had  decreed  (9 :  22)  to 
excommunicate  any  followers  of  Jesus,  hoping  thus  to 
frighten  his  disciples  away  from  him.  This  narrative 
gives  a  typical  instance  of  the  futility  of  their  action. 
There  are  eight  signs  given  us  in  the  Gospel,  and  this  one 
of  the  cure  of  the  man  born  blind  is,  in  order,  the  sixth. 
It  is  the  sign  nature  of  the  incident  which  seems  to  have 
impressed  it  upon  the  mind  of  the  evangehst.  BHnd- 
201 


Public  Ministry 


The  Messages  of  Jestis 


The  Messi- 
anic teach- 
ing of  the 
chapter 


ness  to  the  Jews,  as  to  all  men,  was  an  especially  pitiable 
limitation.  Its  darkness,  helplessness,  and  hopeless- 
ness made  it  significantly  symbolic. 

The  Messianic  teaching  of  the  chapter  is,  "I  am  the 
Light  of  the  World," — the  means  of  hght  to  bhnd  eyes, 
and  of  spiritual  hght  to  blinded  hearts.  All  earnest  dis- 
cussion on  the  part  of  the  neighbors,  parents,  and  Phar- 
isees is  in  view  of  the  miracle,  and  the  miracle  reveals  him 
who  is  the  light  of  the  world .  The  chapter  is  noteworthy 
because  of  its  objective  character.  It  is  made  up  almost 
entirely  of  shifting  scenes,  full  of  action,  and  the  action 
is  natural,  vivid,  and  faithful  both  to  times  and  circum- 
stances. The  words  of  another  are  not  too  strong  when 
he  says  of  it,  "If  the  opponents  of  miracles  could 
produce  a  single  Jewish  document  in  which  any  event 
known  not  to  have  happened  was  described  with  so 
much  minuteness  and  verisimilitude,  then  it  would  be 
easier  to  agree  wuth  them."  The  chapter  naturally 
falls  into  these  parts:  (l)  The  account  of  the  miracle; 
(2)  the  succeeding  discussions  and  investigation;  (3) 
the  spiritual  outcome  of  the  miracle. 


2.   The  Account  oj  the  Miracle  (9:1-7) 

The  ques-  As  One  day,  two  months  later,  in  Jerusalem,  Jesus  was 
iriTth?man  passing  along  he  saw  by  the  wayside  a  beggar  who  had  been 
bora  blind    ^^^^  ^^^^  ^j^^j^      ^j^g  j^^j^,g  pitiable  condition  attracted 

202 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  JoJin  Public  Ministry 

his  especial  attention.  To  the  disciples  the  terrible  afflic- 
tion was  perplexing.  In  their  view  it  was  a  punishment  for 
sin,  but,  owing  to  the  fact  that  the  man  was  born  blind,  the 
question  was  where  to  lay  the  blame.  Was  the  fault  with 
his  parents,  or  had  he  himself  in  some  pre-natal  condition 
been  guilty?  The  latter  supposition  was  hardly  thinkable; 
the  former  was  possible  (Ex.  20:  5).  They  turned  to  Jesus 
for  an  answer,  and  the  answer  he  gave  them  must  have  been 
wholly  unexpected.     In  substance,  it  was  this:  While  evil  The  answer 

of  T  65U.S 

is  certainly  the  result  of  sin,  it  is  wrong  to  conclude  that  (3-5) 
every  individual  case  of  suffering  is  directly  connected  with 
the  sufferer's  guilt,  or  even  with  that  of  his  family.  Neither 
this  man  has  sinned  nor  have  his  parents,  as  far  as  his 
blindness  is  concerned.  Such  speculative  questions  are 
idle.  Rather  than  asking  where  sin  came  from  you  ought 
to  ask  what  you  are  to  do  with  it.  This  affliction  is  not  in 
order  to  discover  the  guilt  of  its  originator,  but  to  make 
manifest  the  works  of  God,  who  looks  upon  sin  as  a  means 
of  revealing  his  mercy  and  saving  power.  We,  you  as  well 
as  I,  ought  to  busy  ourselves  with  these  works  of  him  who 
sent  me — deeds  of  mercy  and  rescue — as  long  as  the  day  of 
life  lasts.  The  night  of  death  is  coming  when  no  man  can 
work.  The  very  fact  that  I  am  in  the  world  makes  it  true 
that  I  am  the  light  of  the  world.  In  illustration  of  this,  he 
spat  upon  the  ground,  made  by  means  of  the  spittle  a  paste 
of  clay,  and  laid  this  upon  the  blind  man's  eyes,  ordering 
him  forthwith  to  go  and  bathe  in  the  pool  of  Siloam,  a  pool 
203 


Public  Ministry  The  Messages  of  Jesus 

in  the  lower  end  of  the  Tyropaeon  Valley,  whose  name  is 
The  cure  of  interpreted  "Sent."  With  his  faith  quickened  by  such 
man  (S  7)  material  help,  the  man  went,  washed  in  Siloam,  and  went 
home  with  restored  sight.  The  pool  whose  name  signified 
**Sent"  symbolized  thus,  in  its  heahng  function,  the  power 
of  him  who  was  sent  from  heaven  to  bring  light  to  the 
world. 


3.  The  Consequent  Discussions  and  Investigation 
(9:8-34) 

The  discus-      The  appearance  of  the  cured  man  at  his  home  caused 

the  cured      much  excitement  and  discussion.     His  neighbors  and  those 

man  (8-10)  ^^^  ^^^  ^^^  familiar  with  the  sight  of  him  since  he  had 

been  a  beggar  in  a  public  place,  were  sure  that  he  was  the 

very  one  who  was  accustomed  to  sit  in  the  street  and  beg. 

Some  of  the  passers-by  agreed  with  this;  others  said  no,  he 

only  bears  a  striking  resemblance  to  the  blind  man.     The 

man  himself  dismissed  all  doubts  by  declaring  that  he  was 

the  beggar  who  was  blind. 

His  testi-  Interest  then  centred  in  the  inquiry  as  to  how  his  eyes 

(i*i?i2)        were  opened.     He  told  them  his  experience,  as  follows: 

"The  man  who  is  called  Jesus  made  paste  of  clay,  laid  it 

upon  my  eyes,  told  me  to  go  to  Siloam  and  wash.     This 

I    did,    and  I   recovered    my   sight."      They   forthwith 

asked,  "Where  is  this  man?"     "I  do  not  know,"  was 

the  reply. 

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Accordmg  to  the  Gospel  of  John   Public  Ministry 

In  the  course  of  the  questioning  and  discussion,  it  had  The  ques- 
come  to  light  that  the  cure  had  been  wrought  on  the  Sab-  Sabbath 
bath.  Whether  or  not  the  specific  rabbinic  direction  that  ^^^-i?) 
a  paste  consisting  of  clay  and  spittle  should  not  be  made  on 
the  Sabbath  was  in  force  at  this  time  is  uncertain,  but  it 
was  unquestionably  illegal  to  bring  about  any  cure  that  was 
not  necessary  to  save  life.  And  yet  this  cure  was  a  signal 
blessing.  The  people  were  uncomfortable  about  it;  they 
wanted  a  decision  from  their  spiritual  guides,  the  Pharisees, 
and  so  they  brought  the  man,  who  was  formerly  bhnd,  to 
them.  The  Pharisees  had  him  tell  his  story  over,  and  he, 
shrewdly  omitting  some  significant  details,  gave  in  sub- 
stance what  he  had  said  before,  namely,  that  Jesus  had  put 
clay  upon  his  eyes,  that  he  had  washed,  and  recovered  his 
sight.  The  account  immediately  provoked  discussion.  To 
some  it  appeared  impossible  that  a  man  who  did  not  observe 
the  Sabbath  could  be  from  God.  Others  were  equally  sure 
that  a  bad  man  (such  as  some  had  concluded)  could  not  do 
such  wonderful  deeds — veritable  signs  of  God's  presence — 
with  him.  The  division  in  opinion  was  clear  and  sharp. 
Both  sides,  accordingly,  made  appeal  to  the  man  himself, 
asking  him  what  he  had  to  say  about  his  benefactor  on  ac- 
count of  his  opening  his  eyes.  "He  is  a  prophet,"  was  the 
prompt  reply.  As  the  man's  faith  was  growing  clearer,  so 
that  now  he  saw  in  Jesus  an  accredited  messenger  from 
God,  so  now  the  unbelief  of  the  "Jews"  reveals  itself  more 
decidedly.  Hitherto  they  had  proceeded  upon  the  assump- 
205 


Public  Ministry  The  Messages  of  Jesus 

tion  that  the  miracle  was  a  fact.     Now  they  placed  it  in 
doubt  by  suspecting  collusion  between  Jesus  and  the  blind 
The  Jews     man.     They  refused  to  accept  the  latter's  testimony  that  he 
from  the       had  ouce  been  blind  and  had  recovered  his  sight,  until  they 
man's  par-    j^^^  called  his  parents.     To  them  they  put  three  questions: 
(18-23)        Is  this  your  son ?     Do  you  declare  that  he  was  born  blind? 
How  does  he  now  see?     To  which  they  gave  answer,  that  he 
was  their  son,  and  that  he  was  born  blind.     The  third  ques- 
tion they  prudently  referred  back  to  their  son  himself,  de- 
claring that  they  knew  neither  how  he  came  to  his  sight  nor 
who  it  was  who  opened  his  eyes.     Ask  him  for  the  informa- 
tion, they  said;  he  is  of  age  and  will  speak  for  himself.     The 
parents  treated  the  matter  in  this  way  out  of  fear  for  the 
Jews,  since  they  had  already  come  to  an  agreement  that  if 
any  man  should  confess  that  he  (Jesus)  was  the  INIessiah 
that  man  should  be  put  out  of  the  synagogue.     The  danger 
of  being  implicated  in  a  judgment  upon  the  claims  of  Jesus 
led  the  parents,  therefore,  to  refer  all  testimony  about  the 
miracle  itself  to  their  son. 
The  Jews         Failing  to  get  much  satisfaction  from  the  parents  they 
a  disavowal  determined  to  force  the  man  to  a  disavowal  of  the  miracle 
cie  (24?25)'  by  urging  the  test  of  Sabbath  observance  or,  as  another  has 
forcefully  said, ' '  to  annihilate  fact  by  dogma."     They  called 
the  cured  man  in  again  and  bade  him  acknowledge  that  the 
whole  transaction,  as  far  as  Jesus  was  concerned,  was  a  de- 
ception, by  giving  God  directly  the  glory.     We  know,  they 
said,  in  order  to  overawe  the  poor  man,  on  theologic 
206 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John   Public  Ministry 

grounds,  that  this  Jesus  is  a  bad  man.     In  accordance  with 
our  knowledge  such  a  miracle  is  impossible,  therefore  there 
was  no  miracle.     Their  way  was  not  so  easy  as  they  sup- 
posed.    Whether  the  man  who  cured  me  was  a  bad  man  or 
not  I  do  not  know,  as  you  say  you  do,  but  there  is  one  thing 
I  do  know,  and  that  is,  that  having  been  blind  I  now  have 
my  sight.     Realizing  that  they  had  little  likelihood  of  brow-  They  ask 
beating  him  with  their  lofty  assertions  of  superior  knowl-  count  the 
edge,  they  asked  him.  to  go  over  again  the  account  of  his  (26-29) 
cure,  hoping  to  involve  him  either  in  contradiction  or  to  get 
some  new  point  for  attacking  the  miracle.     This  demand 
made  the  man  indignant,  and  he  turned  upon  them,  asking 
them  with  stinging  irony,  why  they  wished  to  hear  the  story 
again.     I  have  already  told  it  to  you,  he  said,  and  you  paid 
no  attention  to  the  facts.     Surely  your  eagerness  to  hear  it 
again  is  not  because  you  also  wish  to  become  his  disciples? 
This  home-thrust  made  them  angry,  and  they  resorted  to 
personal  abuse,  making  it  their  chief  charge  that  he  was  a 
disciple  of  that  fellow  and  an  apostate  from  the  law.     Far 
from  even  desiring  any  such  discipleship,  we  are  proud  to 
be  known  as  the  disciples  of  Moses.     Furthermore,  we 
know  that  God  spoke  to  Moses  in  words  that  abide.     He 
was  his  prophet  indeed;  but  as  for  this  fellow,  we  know 
nothing  about  who  commissioned  him  to  speak.     Really, 
said  the  man,  in  your  answer  is  that  which  is  marvellous;  for.  The  cured 
on  your  own  principles  of  judging  a  prophetic  call,  applied  ^th  hSti- 
fuUy  in  the  case  of  Moses,  you  should  know  whence  a  man  \fo-^l) 
207 


Public  Ministry  The  Messages  of  Jesus 

is  who  performs  a  miracle,  and  yet  you  say  that  you  do  not 
know  whence  Jesus  is,  and  he  hath  opened  my  eyes.  Both 
you  and  I  and  all  men  know  that  God  does  not  hear  the 
prayers  of  sinful,  impenitent  men;  especially  does  he  not 
give  such  men  miraculous  approval.  The  conditions  of  ac- 
ceptable prayer  are  that  a  man  be  a  worshipper  of  God  and 
intent  upon  doing  his  will.  Put  those  conditions  beside 
this  miracle  of  opening  my  blind  eyes — a  miracle  unique  in 
the  history  of  the  world — and  then  tell  me  if  it  were  possible 
for  this  man  Jesus  to  do  this,  if  he  were  not  from  God. 
Nay,  if  he  were  not  sent  of  God  he  could  do  nothing. 

The  argument  was  to  every  honest  Jew  unanswerable. 
The  only  answer  attempted  in  this  case  was  abuse  and  per- 
secution. Your  very  blindness,  they  said  contemptuously, 
is  proof  that  you  came  into  the  world  with  the  brand  of 
infamy  upon  you,  and  do  you,  a  low-born,  sin-smitten  ig- 
noramus, presume  to  teach  us?  They  forthwith  excom- 
municated him. 


4.  The  Spiritual  Outcome  of  the  Miracle  (9:35-38) 

The  man's        Soon  after,  Jesus  heard  that  they  had  excommunicated 
jesuT^^  °  the  man,  and  having  found  him,  he  said.  Do  you,  so  coura- 
(35-38)        geous  and  clear  in  your  testimony  to  my  being  a  prophet, 
believe  in  the  Son  of  God?    Do  you  cast  yourself  in  com- 
plete self -commitment  upon  him  who  is  the  Messiah?     In 
wondering  eagerness  the  man  asked :  Who  is  he,  that  I  may 
208 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John  Public  Ministry 

thus  in  faith  cast  myself  upon  him  ?  To  which  Jesus  replied, 
You  have  both  seen  him  with  the  eyes  of  the  spirit  as  well  as 
the  eyes  of  flesh,  and  he  who  is  now  talking  with  you  is  the 
Messiah.  Quickly  the  man  exclaimed,  "I  believe,  Lord," 
and  he  worshipped  him. 

VII 

THE   SPIRITUAL  TEACHING  IN  CONNECTION   WITH  THE 
CURE   OF   THE   BLIND   MAN  (9:39-10:42) 

I.  Introductory 

It  is  an  unfortunate  division  which  brings  a  chapter 
heading  in  between  9:41  and  the  following  thoughts. 
The  very  form  of  the  first  sentence  of  chapter  10,  "Ver- 
ily, verily,"  indicates  that  a  close  relationship  is  marked, 
and  10:  6  seems  to  refer  to  9:  41.  As  far,  at  least,  as 
10:21  there  is  an  intimate  connection  between  this  and 
the  preceding  chapter  (9). 

We  come  now  for  the  first  time,  to  a  pecuHar  form  of  The  alle- 
teaching,  "the  allegory,"  which  differs  from  the  parable  ^^^^ 
in  that  "figure  and  appHcation  run  side  by  side  and  are 
interwoven  with  one  another."  We  know  from  the 
Synoptics  how  frequently  Jesus  spoke  in  parables;  does 
the  allegory  belong,  then,  to  the  "  Johannine  impress" 
upon  this  Gospel  ?  In  reply,  two  facts  are  noteworthy : 
(a)  That  there  is  considerable  variation  in  the  use  of  the 
209 


Public  Ministry  The  Messages  of  Jesus 

parable  in  the  Synoptics;  for  example,  see  the  rich  man 
and  Lazarus,  and  the  Pharisee  and  the  Pubhcan,  as  com- 
pared with  the  Ten  Virgins  or  the  Prodigal  Son ;  (6)  that 
in  the  Synoptics  we  have  repeated  use  of  the  figure  of  the 
shepherd  (see  Matt.  9:  36  and  the  parable  of  the  Lost 
Sheep).  If,  however,  it  be  granted  that  the  form  here 
given  is  Johannine,  nevertheless  the  substance  of  the 
teaching  is  undoubtedly  genuine,  for  as  Sanday  remarks : 
"In  no  case  does  the  evangelist  overstep  the  circle  of 
Apostolic  teaching  or  the  legitimate  and  necessary  in- 
ference from  premises  that  the  Synoptics  supply."  ^ 

In  \iew  of  all  these  facts,  it  seems  more  Kkely  that  we 
have  in  form,  as  well  as  in  substance,  the  original  teach- 
ing of  Jesus.  Another  question  of  interest  is  whether  a 
Is  Pauline  Pauline  influence  is  traceable  in  this  chapter.  Doctrines 
seen  here?  appear  here  which  w^ere  certainly  prominent  in  the  Apos- 
tle's tliinking.  The  only  form  in  which  this  influence 
was  operative  may  have  been  to  quicken  the  mind  of  the 
evangelist  to  the  value  of  certain  teachings  which  might 
otherwise  have  been  passed  by.  Paul's  teaching  in 
Ephesus  could  not  surely  have  been  ignored  by  John. 
If  so,  may  it  not  have  helped  him  to  discern  more  clearly 
the  meaning  of  the  hfe  and  death  of  Jesus  ?  May  not 
this  influence  in  part  account  for  the  very  selection  of 
events  and  discourses  which  constitute  the  Fourth 
Gospel  .'* 

'See  Authorship  of  Fourth  Gospel,  p.  170. 
210 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John   Public  Ministry 

Jesus  speaks  all  through  this  chapter  with  his  oppo-  Circum- 
nents  in  mind.  Antagonism  toward  him  is  now  rapidly  ^'^^^^^^ 
intensifying.  A  broad  view  of  the  chapter  gives  us  a 
principal  division  at  verse  22.  In  the  verses  preceding, 
Jesus  speaks  of  the  blessing  appointed  to  those  who  fol- 
low him;  in  those  succeeding,  it  is  shown  how  increas- 
ingly he  is  an  offence  to  the  Jews.  All  through  the  chap- 
ter, in  what  may  be  called  the  objective  parts  of  it,  there 
are  marks  of  an  eye-witness  (see  verses  23,  24,  40). 
The  two  chief  parts  of  the  chapter  may  be  subdivided : 
Part  I:  1-6,  7-10,  11-18,  19-21;  Part  II:  22-33, 
34-39,  40-42.  As  in  previous  chapters,  we  have  short 
discourses  upon  different  themes  which  are,  in  each 
case,  significant  as  giving  us  views  of  the  person  and 
work  of  the  Messiah. 


2.  The  General  Ejects  of  the  Ministry  of  Jesus  upon 
the  World,  as  Suggested  by  His  Experiences  with 
the  Blind  Man  (9:39-41) 


While  Jesus  was  speaking  to  the  man  whom  he  had  cured  The  pur- 

ose  and  i 
ult  of  th{ 
oming  o: 
esus (39) 


the  people  gathered  around,  and  with  them  the  Pharisees.  ^u\\  oi^ihl^' 
To  them  all  Jesus  said:  I  have  come  into  this  world  of  sin  j°"^'"^  °^ 
and  strife  for  judgment.     It  is  the  inevitable  result  of  my 
coming,  and  my  coming,  as  well  as  the  judgment  attending 
it,  was  designed  to  bring  to  spiritual  sight  those  who  are  in 
ignorance  of  divine  truth  but  who  still  have  a  capacity  for  it; 


Public  Ministry 


The  Messages  of  Jesus 


The  blind- 
ness of  the 
Pharisees 
(40,  41) 


likewise,  to  bring  to  total  blindness  those  whose  boasted 
knowledge  of  the  law  has  made  them  incapable  of  receiving 
spiritual  truth.  Those  of  the  Pharisees  who  were  with  him, 
probably  for  purposes  of  espionage,  hearing  what  he  had 
just  said,  exclaimed  contemptuously.  You  do  not  mean  to 
say  that  we,  too,  are  bhnd?  If  you  were  bUnd,  said  Jesus, 
in  the  sense  that  you  were  conscious  of  your  spiritual  ig- 
norance, and,  therefore,  were  in  earnest  about  seeking  the 
light,  you  would  not  have  sin,  for  you  either  would  find  the 
light,  or  be  guiltless,  if  you  failed.  But  now  you  keep  say- 
ing that  you  know  the  truth,  that  you  have  the  light.  In 
your  blind  self-satisfaction  you  will  not  see  the  Hght  which 
I  bring;  you  refuse  to  believe  in  me  and  my  mission,  and  so 
your  sin  (of  unbelief)  abides. 


3.  Jesus  the  Shepherd  (10:1-21) 


Connec-  Just  a  word  is  needful  to  show  the  connection  of 

thought  be-  thought.     The   contrast   between  the  conduct  of  the 

ters^Q  and^  Pharisees  and  Jesus  in  reference  to  the  man  who  had 

^°'  received  his  sight  suggests  the  allegories  which  follow. 

The  "bad  shepherds  "  are  the  poor  "blind  leaders  of  the 

bhnd"  characterized  in  verses  40,  41,  and  all  that  the 

"good  shepherd"  means  is  beautifully  depicted.     The 

facts    of  chapter  9  are    the    basis    of    these  extended 

The  three     metaphors  in  chapter  10.     The  three  pictures — the  Real 

ic  ures       Shepherd,  the  Door,  and  the  Good  Shepherd — are  in 

212 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John  Public  Ministry 

gradational  succession.  On  the  occasion  of  the  violent 
expulsion  of  the  man  born  blind,  Jesus  beheld  with  af- 
fection that  true  Messianic  flock  which  was  already  be- 
ginning to  separate  itself  from  the  ancient  Israelite 
community.  This  forms  the  first  picture.  He  next  de- 
picted the  happy  and  glorious  privileges  which  this 
flock,  when  once  it  was  gathered  around  him,  would 
enjoy,  in  contrast  with  the  cruel  treatment  which  those 
members  of  the  ancient  people  who  remained  under  the 
evil  direction  of  their  present  leaders  would  incur.  This 
is  the  second  picture. 

Lastly,  he  brought  out  that  sentiment  which  was  the 
soul  of  his  Messianic  ministry,  his  love  for  his  flock;  a 
love  extending  to  the  complete  sacrifice  of  himself.  This 
is  the  third  picture.  "There  is  nothing  vague  or  common- 
place in  these  delineations,  which  present  a  faithful 
reflection  of  the  state  of  things  at  the  time  when  Jesus 
was  speaking'*  (Godet). 

(l)    THE   REAL   SHEPHERD    (lO  :  1-6) 

I.  He  enters  the  fold  by  the  door  (2)  in  distinction 

from  the  one  who  gets  in  some  other  way  (l). 

II.  He  calls  his   sheep    by   name   and   leads   them 

out  (3). 

III.  He  is  followed  by  his  sheep  because  they  know  his 

voice  (4);  a  stranger  they  will  not  follow  (5). 

213 


Public  Ministry  The  Messages  of  Jesus 

An  ancient       An  ancient  sheepfold  was  usually  a  walled,  unroofed 
enclosure,  into  which  all  gained  access  by  means  of  a  solid 
door  which  could  at  night  be  securely  fastened.     Several 
flocks  could  be  accommodated  inside,  and  the  sheepfold 
was  often  left  in  charge  of  an  under-shepherd  or  porter  who 
opened  the  door  to  the  shepherds  in  the  morning.     Upon 
this  familiar  feature  of  the  scenery  of  Judea  Jesus  based  his 
allegory.     First  he  seeks  to  give  the  marks  of  the  real  shep- 
herd, as  opposed  to  one  who  is  not  genuine;  and  in  this  con- 
trast he  has  in  mind  on  one  side  the  Pharisees,  who  with  no 
inward  call  or  commission  had  assumed  to  be  the  shepherds 
of  the  fold  of  God,  and  on  the  other,  himself,  the  Messiah 
The  marks   — the  real  shepherd.     With  solemn  emphasis  I  say  to  you, 
shephenf      he  began,  that  you  can  discover  the  real  shepherd  by  the 
^^"^^  way  he  enters  the  fold.     Because  of  his  interest  in  the  sheep 

he  goes  in  by  the  door  which  the  porter  opens  to  him. 
Whereas,  those  whose  interests  are  selfish,  who  use  the 
flock  for  the  furtherance  of  their  own  good,  are  like  the  thief 
and  the  robber  who  climb  over  the  wall  from  some  other 
direction.  Witness  the  insistence  upon  their  own  rights 
on  the  part  of  the  Pharisees,  their  imposition  of  their  own 
interpretations  upon  the  lives  of  the  people,  and  their  con 
stant  ambition  for  worldly  honor.  Such  can  never  be  real 
spiritual  shepherds  of  God's  flock.  Then  again,  the  real 
shepherd's  voice  is  recognized  by  the  flock;  he  calls  them  by 
name  and  leads  them  forth,  and  they  follow  him  because 
they  know  his  voice.  Let  a  stranger  call  them  and  they 
214 


According  to  the   Gospel  of  Jo  Jin    Public  Ministry 

will  run  away,  because  he  is  a  stranger  and  they  do  not 
know  his  voice.  By  all  of  which  Jesus  meant  to  say  that 
there  were  those  whose  spiritual  needs  and  perceptions  en- 
abled them  to  recognize  his  voice  as  the  voice  of  one  from 
God,  to  welcome  his  message,  and  to  commit  themselves  in 
trust  to  him.  These  whom  he — the  real  shepherd — knew 
personally  and  intimately,  he  led  out  from  the  theocracy  and 
guided  in  the  way  of  righteousness  and  love.  No  other 
voice  could  make  appeal  to  them;  it  was  as  a  stranger's 
voice.     So  the  bhnd  man  had  heard  and  followed. 

To  the  Pharisees  the  allegory  was  an  enigma.     They  did 
not  understand  its  meaning. 

(2)    JESUS  THE   DOOR   OF   THE   SHEEP    (lO:  7-I0) 

I.  All  others  before  him  making  this  claim  are  thieves 

and  robbers  (8). 
II.  Through  him  as  the  door,  one  enters  into  safety, 
liberty,  and  support  (9). 

The  thief  who  does  not  recognize  the  door, 
comes  to  steal,  kill,  and  destroy;  I  am  come 
that  they  may  have  Hfe,  and  that  too  in  abun- 
dancei  (10). 

In  narrating  these  allegories  Jesus  had  a  twofold  object  Jesus's  pur- 
in  view:  the  encouragement  of  the  man  whom  he  had  cured,  anlgi?y  ^^ 
and  the  instruction  of  the  Pharisees.     Because  these  did  not 

1  This  verse  (lo)  is  transitional  to  the  thought  of  the  next  allegory. 
215 


(7-IO) 


PubUc  Ministry  The  Messages  of  Jesus 

understand  him  he  sought  by  a  change  of  figure  to  set  forth 
again  his  position  as  compared  with  theirs.  In  this  allegory 
the  shepherd  disappears  and  the  door  of  the  sheepfold  is 
made  prominent.  The  sheepfold  is  now  the  equivalent  of 
Jesus  in  the  Messianic  salvation.  Again  with  solemn  emphasis  I 
the  sSritu°al  Say  to  you  that  I  am  myself  the  means  of  entrance  to  all  the 
hislfme"^  spiritual  blessings  of  God.  All  who  before  me  have  come 
making  such  a  claim  as  I  now  make  are  thieves  and  robbers. 
Their  pretensions  to  be  the  means  by  which  one  can  get  to 
heaven — either  in  the  rites  which  they  have  created  or  in 
the  traditions  which  they  have  made  essential — are  utterly 
false,  and  those  who  have  been  spiritually  minded  have  not 
listened  to  them.  I  alone  am  the  mediator  of  salvation.  He 
who  beheves  in  me  comes  by  me  to  that  spiritual  under- 
standing of  life  wherein  the  heart  has  true  freedom  and 
finds  spiritual  sustenance.  The  only  purpose  of  the 
*' thief  "  to  whom  I  have  just  referred  is  to  get  a  grip  upon 
the  soul  by  his  self -devised  and  self -flattering  teachings;  to 
pervert  morally  all  he  can  thus  make  his  own,  and  finally 
to  bring  them  to  destruction.  Over  against  such  aims 
stands  mine,  namely,  to  bring  spiritual  life  to  men  and  that, 
too,  in  abundance. 

(3)    THE   GOOD   SHEPHERD    (lO:iI-l8) 

Godet's  words  in  regard  to  these  allegories  are  singu- 
larly suggestive.     He  makes  the  first  picture  (1-6)  that 
of  the  morning  when  the  shepherd  comes  to  take  his 
216 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John    Public  Ministry 

flock  forth  to  the  experiences  of  the  day.  "The  second 
(7-10)  depicts  the  life  and  employment  of  the  flock  in 
the  middle  of  the  day."  The  third  figure  (11-18)  seems 
to  bring  us  to  the  time  when  the  shadows  of  evening  are 
spreading,  and  the  sheep  which  are  being  brought  back 
by  their  shepherd  to  the  fold,  are  suddenly  exposed  to  the 
attacks  of  the  wolf,  who  was  lying  in  wait  in  their  path. 
In  this  allegory  the  shepherd  and  the  hireling  are  con- 
trasted.    The  wolf  is  the  foe. 

JESUS   THE   GOOD    SHEPHERD 

I.  He  is  willing  to  give  his  life  for  the  sheep  (11,  15). 
In  this  he  is  the  opposite  of  the  hirehng,  who 
flees  when  danger  threatens  the  sheep  (12,  13). 
II.  He  knows  his  sheep  and  his  sheep  know  him 
(14) ;  the  measure  and  character  of  this  knowl- 
edge (15). 
III.  He  will  gather  all  his  sheep  into  one  flock.  There- 
fore the  Father  loves  him,  since  for  this  purpose 
he  takes  his  life  again  after  laying  it  down, 
that  in  the  resurrection  life  he  may  "lead  out ' 
all  the  sheep  (17). 

(a)  The  acts  of  sacrifice  and  resurrection 
were  purely  spontaneous  on  the  part 
of  Jesus  (18  a,  6)  yet 
(6)  They   accorded   with   the   will   of  the 
Father  (18  c). 
217 


Public  Ministry 


The  Messages  of  Jesus 


Contrast 
between 
good  shep- 
herd and 
hireling 
(11-13) 


How  Jesus 
knows  his 
followers 
(14.  15) 


The  other 
pi'-.ep  (16) 


I  am  the  good  shepherd.  The  good  shepherd  lays  down 
his  life  for  the  sheep.  He  who  is  a  hireling  and  not  a  shep- 
herd, whose  own  the  sheep  are  not,  when  he  sees  the  wolf 
coming  leaves  the  sheep  and  runs  away.  And  the  wolf 
seizes  them  and  scatters  the  flock.  For  the  very  reason  that 
he  is  a  hireling  with  no  vital  interest  in  the  flock,  he  flies  at 
the  approach  of  danger.  Not  only  am  I  the  good  shepherd 
in  that  I  protect  the  sheep,  but  also  I  know  my  sheep  and 
they  know  me.  This  reciprocal  knowledge  is  based  upon 
spiritual  relationship.  I  know  them  as  sympathetic  with, 
and  responsive  to,  spiritual  truth,  and  they  know  me  as  the 
revealer  of  such  truth,  as  the  one  whom  the  word  of  God 
(the  Old  Testament)  had  promised.  This  knowledge  has 
both  its  pattern  and  source  in  the  knowledge  of  the  Father 
for  the  Son,  and  of  the  Son  for  the  Father.  It  is  the  knowl- 
edge of  intimate  spiritual  fellowship. 

Because  I  know  them  in  this  way  I  am  laying  down  my 
life  for  the  sheep.  "  Completeness  of  knowledge  is  con- 
summated in  completeness  of  sacrifice  "  (Westcott). 
And  those  for  whom  I  am  doing  this  are  not  simply  the  few 
who  constitute  the  sheepfold  of  Israel.  Other  sheep  I  have 
which  are  not  of  this  fold.  They  shall  come  from  the  Gen- 
tiles— from  all  parts  of  the  world,  from  all  ages  and  climes. 
I  must  lead  them  into  personal  relations  with  me;  they  will 
hear  my  voice,  catch  the  divine  accents  in  it,  and  they  shall 
become  one  flock  under  one  shepherd.  It  is  because  I 
voluntarily  give  up  my  hfe,  that  the  Father  loves  me,  and  I 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John  Public  Ministry 

do  not  give  it  up  in  order  that  I  may  forsake  it  and  so  in  He  voiun- 
death  leave  the  sheep  defenceless,  but  in  order  that  I  may  w"iif|*^^^ 
take  it  again  and  in  the  resurrection  life  be  more  than  ever  ^^^'  ^^^ 
the  shepherd  of  the  flock  of  God.     Understand  me,  no  one 
— man,  evil  spirit,  or  even  God  himself — takes  my  life  from 
me.     I  am  laying  it  down  of  myself,  freely,  spontaneously. 
I  have  the  right  to  lay  it  down  and  the  right  to  take  it  again, 
and  yet  this  is  in  harmony  with  the  will  of  God.     His  com- 
mand does  not  take  away  the  voluntariness  of  my  action ;  it 
is  framed  in  such  a  way  as  to  leave  room  for  it.     ''Thou 
shalt  die  or  not  die,  thou  shalt  rise  again  or  not  rise  again, 
according  to  the  free  prompting  of  thy  love,"  is  its  purport. 


(4)  THE  RESULT  OF  THESE  TEACHINGS  (10:19-21) 

As  many  times  before  (7:  12,  30,  40;  9:  8,  16)  so  now  The  hear- 
there  arose  again  a  sharp  division  of  opinion  among  the  l^s  wordr 
Jews  over  what  he  had  said.     Many  of  them  said:  Why  do  ^^^'  ^°^ 
you  give  him  any  credence  whatever?  He  is  possessed  and 
insane.     Others  said:    These  are  not  the  utterances  of  a 
madman,  and  besides,  a  demon  surely  cannot  open  the  eyes 
of  the  blind. 

4.  His  Sweeping  Claims  (10:22-42) 

The  Feast  of  Dedication  was  the  annual  celebration  The  Feast 
of  the  reconstruction  of  the  Temple  (165  B.C.)  by  Judas  uon^ 
Maccabeus  after  its  defilement  by  Antiochus  Epiphanes. 
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Public  Ministry  The  Messages  of  Jesus 

It  was  held  in  December,  and  continued  eight  days. 
All  fasting  and  public  mourning  were  prohibited,  for  it 
was  a  time  of  general  rejoicing  and  it  was  distinguished 
by  the  illumination  of  the  city,  the  Temple,  and  other 
places  throughout  the  land.  On  account  of  this  general 
illumination  it  was  called  also  the  "Feast  of  Lights.** 
Soon  after  the  allegories  regarding  the  shepherd  Jesus 
dehvered  the  addresses  which  here  follow.  The  special 
mention  of  the  time  is  probably,  as  Westcott  says,  in 
order  to  connect  the  subject  of  the  Lord's  teaching  with 
the  hopes  associated  with  national  dehverance. 

(l)    HIS   WITNESS   TO   HIS   MESSIAHSHIP    (10:22-30) 

I.  He  has  given  it  to  them  more  than  once  (25  a),  but 

they  will  not  accept  it  (25  6). 
II.  His  works  done  in  the  name  of  the  Father  were 

part  of  it  (25  c).     They  would  not  accept  this 

witness  (26  a). 
Reason:    They  were  not  his  sheep  (26  b). 

His   Sheep   (27,   28) 

(a)  hear  his  voice ; 

(b)  are  known  by  him; 

(c)  follow  him; 

(d)  receive  eternal  life; 

(e)  shall  never  perish ; 
(/)  are  absolutely  safe. 

220 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John  Public  Ministry 

The  next  discussion  which  Jesus  had  with  the  Jews  intro-  Jesus 
duces  us  to  the  Feast  of  Dedication,  which  was  in  progress,  "pfak 
when  they  came  to  him  and  asked  how  long  he  was  going  to  (^2-^4) 
keep  them  in  suspense  regarding  himself,  as  to  whether  or 
not  he  was  the  Messiah.     Because  it  was  stormy  weather 
(the  feast  was  in  December,  during  the  rainy  season),  Jesus 
was  walking  under  cover  in  the  cloister  on  the  eastern  side 
of  the  temple  area,  that  is,  in  Solomon's  porch.     Here  the 
Jews  found  him,  and  urged  him  to  speak  openly  about  him- 
self.    ''Drop  allegories,  stop  speaking  in  figure,  and  tell  us 
plainly  and  unequivocally  if  you  are  the  Messiah!"     It  was 
the  time  when  they  were  remembering  the  splendid  work 
of  Judas  Maccabeus,  and  if  only  now  they  could  have  a 
Messiah  who  would  purge  the  land  they  were  ready  to  give 
him  hearty  support.     Jesus  well  knew  how  liable  to  misin-  He  had 

.  ,.  J  u  given  them 

terpretation  any  direct  announcement  was,  and  so  he  re-  evidence  as 
phed,  I  have  told  you  and  you  do  not  believe;  and  besides,  ^as  (25) 
the  works  which  I  am  performing  in  my  Father's  name  bear 
witness  concerning  me.     Those  show  you  whose  representa-  why  they 

-,.  til  r  •     •        •      1      .  Ml  had  not  ac- 

tive I  am,  and  what  the  nature  of  my  mission  is,  but  you  will  cepted  it 

not  accept  this  testimony  either;  and  the  reason  is  just  this  ^^ 

— that  you  are  not  of  my  sheep.     Those  who  are  mine  The  marks 

,        ,     .  .  .  .  .        ,  ,.       of  his  sheep 

recognize  the  divme  tone  of  my  voice — the  spiritual  reality  (27-30) 
in  my  message,  and  they  commit  themselves  to  me  in  loving 
obedience,  following  me  in  glad  faith.  So,  too,  I  know 
them  and  to  them  I  give  life  divine  and  enduring,  in  conse- 
quence of  which  they  shall  never  perish,  and  no  one  shall 
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Public  Ministry  The  Messages  of  Jesus 

snatch  them  from  my  hand.  Indeed,  their  security  rests 
ultimately  in  the  love  and  power  of  my  Father  himself,  for 
he  has  given  them  to  me,  and  he  is  greater  than  all.  No 
one  is  able  to  snatch  them  from  the  Father's  hand.  In  that 
blessed  activity  which  is  bringing  salvation  to  men  my 
Father  and  I  are  one.  He  works  through  me,  and  I  work 
only  through  his  power.  My  hand,  in  its  uplifting,  saving, 
protecting  work,  is  his  hand. 

To  the  ears  of  the  Jews  such  claims  were  nothing  else 

than   blasphemy,    and   in    their   indignation   they   again 

brought  stones  in  order  to  stone  him. 

They  One  moment,  said  Jesus,  before  you  hurl  those  stones. 

stone  him°   I  havc  showu  you  many  noble  works  radiant  with  the 

(31-33)        Father's  beneficence.     For  which  of  them,  forsooth,  are 

you  now  preparing  to  stone  me?     The  reason  of  our  action, 

the  Jews  replied,  is  not  any  good  work  which  you  have  done, 

but  the  blasphemy  of  which  you  are  guilty  in  that  you,  a 

man,  make  yourself  God. 

(2)   THE   JUSTIFICATION   OF   HIS   CLAIM   TO  BE   THE 
SON   OF   GOD    (10:34-39) 

I.  From  the  very  wording  of  their  own  law  (34-36) : 
an  a  jortiori  argument. 
11.  From  the  works  which  he  had  done  (37,  38). 

(a)  Had  there  been  no  works,  no  faith  would 
be  required. 
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According  to  the  Gospel  of  John  Public  Ministry 

(6)  They  are  to  believe  the  works,  if  not  him 
(38  a) ;  reason  for  this  faith  (38  6). 


To  the  charge  of  blasphemy  Jesus  replied  with  an  a  for-  The  argu- 
Hori  argument  in  this  way:     Is  it  not  written  in  your  law  fhe^word'" 
(Ps.  82:  6)  I  said  ye  are  gods?     If  the  law  (here  used  of  th^^old  '" 
the  entire  Old  Testament)  does  not  blaspheme  in  naming  Testament 
the  judges  in  Israel  gods,  to  whom  the  word  of  God  came, 
that  is,  "who  were  thus  addressed  by  God  at  their  conse- 
cration to  their  office  and  by  this  word  lifted  up  to  a  new 
dignity"  (Bruce) — (and  that  they  were  so  named  is  certain 
because  Scripture  is  authoritative) — then,  how  can  you 
justly  say  that  I,  whom  the  Father  consecrated  and  sent 
into  the  world,  am  a  blasphemer  because  I  have  said  that  I 
am  the  Son  of  God?     Not  only,  from  a  scriptural  point  of  His  appeal 
view,  have  I  uttered  no  blasphemy,  but  I  have  stated  the  (37,^38)°'^  ' 
truth  and  given  you  ample  demonstration  of  it  in  my  works. 
If  they  do  not  show  that  they  are  the  works  of  God,  such 
works  as  are  worthy  of  his  love  and  beneficence,  do  not  be- 
lieve me.     If  they  do,  then,  though  you  do  not  credit  my 
assertions  on  my  own  authority,  believe  these  works.     Let 
them  teach  you  in  order  that  you  may  come  to  know  and 
continue  to  know  that  the  Father  is  in  me  and  I  in  the 
Father,    that   is,  that  God's   power   is   expressing    itself 
through  me,  and  that  I  find  all  my  impulses  to  action  in  him. 

While  they  Hstened  to  these  words,  his  opponents  had  let 
the  stones  fall  from  their  hands,  but  now  they  sought  again 
223 


Public  Ministry 


The  Messages  of  Jesns 


They 
threaten 
again; 
Jesus  es- 
capes (39) 


He  with- 
draws be- 
yond the 
Jordan 
(40-42) 


to  seize  him;  but  while  they  were  devising  means  to  arrest 
him  he  succeeded  in  slipping  away. 

(3)   THE   DEPARTURE   BEYOND   THE   JORDAN    (10:40-42) 

Opposition  made  it  dangerous  for  Jesus  to  remain  longer 
in  the  capital,  so  he  went  away  to  a  region  where  he  could 
labor  in  comparative  safety,  and  that  was  the  territory  be- 
yond the  Jordan  where  John  the  Baptist  had  first  baptized. 
Here  he  remained  about  three  months.  Many  came  to  him 
and  said  that,  though  John  the  Baptist  himself  had  worked 
no  miracle,  all  the  things  which  he  had  said  concerning  him 
(Jesus)  were  true.  This  very  correspondence  between  pre- 
diction and  fact  led  to  faith,  and  the  record  is  that  many  be- 
lieved on  him  in  the  Perea. 


VIII 

THE    RAISING    OF    LAZARUS    (ll) 

I.  Introductory 


The  im 

portance  of 


From  the  fifth  chapter  we  have  watched  the  develop- 
this  chapter  ment  of  the  hostility  of  the  Jews,  as  the  deeds  and  w^ords 
of  Jesus  have  provoked  it.  In  this  chapter  we  are  given 
the  event  which  was  the  occasion  of  a  definite  settled 
plan  to  put  him  to  death.  The  importance  of  this 
chapter  to  the  Fourth  Gospel  is  not,  however,  chiefly  in 
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According  to  the  Gospel  of  John  Public  Ministry 

the  critical  significance  of  its  miracle  to  the  Jews.     It  is 
rather  in  its  teaching.     The  light  of  the  whole  narrative 
but  irradiates  the  declaration  of  Jesus,  "I  am  the  resur- 
rection and  the  life."     When  John  wrote  he  saw  the  sig- 
nificance of  this  claim  as  interpreted  by  the  resurrection 
of  Jesus  himself  and  shall  we  not  say  too,  by  the  theology 
of  Paul .5^     It  is  the  chmacteric  "I  am."     The  claim  is  Contains 
superlatively  Messianic.      It  contains  within  itself  the  tedc ''T^'^ 
promise  that  hfe  shall  not  only  be  called  out  of  death,  but  *'"" 
triumphantly  carried  through  it  and  beyond  it  to  a  death- 
less blessedness.     In  the  hour  when  Jesus  uttered  these 
never-to-be-forgotten  words  he  reached  the  height  of  his 
Messianic  declarations.     Negative,  as  well  as  positive, 
criticism  has  recognized  this  great  declaration  as  the 
theme  and  centre  of  this  story.     That  the  story  itself  is  The  story 
no  ideal  composition  constructed  to  give  place  to  this  ?onstruc- 
claim  of  Jesus  is  evident  both  in  its  vividness  and  circum-  *^°° 
stantiality .     The  minute  touches,  personal  as  well  as  geo- 
graphical, the  individuality  in  the  persons  brought  upon 
the  scene,  and  the  divine-human  portrait  of  Jesus  would 
make  the  whole  a  literary  miracle  if  it  be  not  actual  his- 
tory.    It  is  well  to  remember  that  the  miracle  itself  is  a 
sign,  the  seventh  in  the  series  of  this  Gospel  (2:11;  4:  54; 
5:8;  6:14;  9:1;  11:44),  and  points  beyond  itself  to 
the  teaching.     The  emphasis  in  the  chapter  is  not  upon 
the  miracle,  as  is  always  assumed  in  such  statements  as 
speak  of  it  as  "the  climacteric  miracle, "  and  in  such  de- 
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Public  Ministry  The  Messages  of  Jesus 

mands  as  are  unsatisfied  until  an  adequate  explana- 
tion is  given  for  the  omission  of  the  story  from  the  Sy- 
noptics. 

Naturally  the  whole  narrative  divides  itself  accord- 
ing to  its  places  and  scenes,  and  of  these  there  are 
three : 

Scene      I.     In  Perea. 

Scene    II.     In  Bethany. 

Scene  III.     In  Jerusalem. 

2.  lyi  Perea  (ii:i-i6) 

Persons :  Jesus,  the  messenger  from  Bethany,  and  the 
disciples. 

After  the  Feast  of  Dedication  Jesus  went  away 
beyond  the  Jordan.  The  bulk  of  the  Perean  min- 
istry up  to  the  time  of  the  visit  in  Bethany  is  given  us  in 
Luke  11:1  to  17:10. 

Lazarus  at        While  Jesus  was  in  Perea  it  happened  that  Lazarus,  of 

near'j^ru-     Bethany,  a  village  about  two  miles  from  Jerusalem,  was 

saiem  (i,  2)  ^^^^    -jj      "YMvi    Bethany    was    distinguished    from    the 

Bethany  ( Jn.  i :  28)  where  Jesus  then  was,  also  by  the 

fact  that  it  was  the  home  of  Mary  and  her  sister  Martha 

(Lk.  10:  38-42), — that  Mary  who  anointed  the  Lord  with 

ointment  and  wiped  his  feet  with  her  hair  (Mk.  14:  3,  Jn. 

12:  3).     Jesus  was  a  dear  friend  of  these  sisters  and  it  was 

their  brother  who  was  ill.     Naturally,  in  their  anxiety,  they 

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According  to  the  Gospel  of  John  Public  Ministry 

sent  a  messenger  to  Jesus  telling  him  simply  the  fact  that  Martha  and 
his  beloved  friend  was  ill  and  leaving  him  to  do  what  he  a  messenger 
thought  best.     When  the  word  came  to  Jesus  he  said  to  his  (3, 4)^"^ 
disciples,  "This  illness  is  not  to  have  final  issue  in  death. 
God's  purpose  in  regard  to  it  is  not  that,  but  rather  for  such 
manifestation  of  his  power  and  love  through  me,  his  Son,  as 
shall  ultimately  bring  about  my  glorification."     The  love  Jesus  does 
which  Jesus  had  for  Martha,  her  sister  and  Lazarus,  would  once;  prob- 
have  impelled  him  to  go  at  once  upon  receiving  the  tidings  (5,  ^^^^^^"^ 
of  the  serious  illness  of  Lazarus,  but  he  could  not  get  away 
under  two  days,  doubtless  owing  to  the  presence  of  some 
work  in  which  he  was  engaged.     After  this  was  completed 
he  said  to  his  disciples,  Come,  let  us  go  again  into  Judea. 
They,  however,  were  anxious,  in  view  of  the  threatening 
antagonism  which  they  had  experienced  in  Jerusalem.     It 
is  but  yesterday,  they  urged,  that  the  Jews  sought  to  stone 
you,  and  will  you  go  again  into  danger?     The  answer  of  The  reply 
Jesus,  given  m  the  form  of  a  parable,  was  suggested,  per-  the  fear  of 
haps,  by  the  early  dawn  of  the  day  of  their  departure.  Just  pies  (7-13) 
as  there  are  twelve  hours  in  the  day  in  which  one  may  walk 
safely,  as  we  are  now  doing,  without  risk  of  stumbling,  be- 
cause the  sunUght  makes  clear  the  way,  so  there  is  a  definite 
time  made  luminous  by  the  will  of  God,  in  which  I  can 
labor.     I  know  that  that  time  is  not  yet  past,  so  I  can  go 
fearlessly  on.     The  night  cometh  when  I  can  no  longer 
work :  but  it  has  not  yet  come.     Having  spoken  in  this  way, 
he  said  to  them,  "Lazarus,  our  friend,  is  asleep;  I  am  going 
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Public  Ministry  The  Messages  of  Jesus 

to  awaken  him."     Whereupon  they  concluded  that  the 

crisis  for  Lazarus  had  been  safely  passed,  for  they  said, 

Jesus  tells     "Lord,  if  he  is  asleep,  he  will  recover."     It  was,  therefore, 

Laz'Jrus^is    necessary  to  tell  them  plainly  that  it  was  not  literal  sleep  of 

(1^4-16)        which  he  had  spoken,  but  of  death,  and  so  Jesus  said, 

"Lazarus  is  dead.     And  sad  as  it  is  for  those  in  Bethany 

that  I  could  not  be  with  them  sooner,  I  am  for  your  sakcs 

glad  that  I  was  not  there  in  that  your  faith  will  be  increased 

and  made  surer.     But,  not  to  dwell  upon  our  feelings  in  the 

matter,   let  us  go  to  him."     Thomas,   sometimes  called 

Didymus,  who  saw  that  Jesus  was  determined  to  go  then, 

said  to  his  fellow-disciples  out  of  devotion  to  his  Master  and 

in  the  abandonment  of  all  hope  for  the  future,  "Let  us  go, 

too,  in  order  that  we  may  die  with  him." 

3.  In  Bethany  (11:17-46) 

Persons:  Jesus,  his  friends,  and  the  Jews.  With  the 
words,  "so  when  Jesus  came,"  the  scene  is  shifted  and 
we  find  ourselves  upon  the  pleasant  hill-slope  near  Jeru- 
salem where  Bethany  stood  amid  olive-trees  and  over- 
looking the  deep  valley  which  descends  to  the  Jordan 
plain. 

Jesus  finds  Upon  his  arrival,  Jesus  learned  that  Lazarus  had  been 
burled  Ind  four  days  in  the  sepulchre.  According  to  Jewish  custom 
moSrners  burfal  had  taken  place  on  the  day  of  his  death,  which  oc- 
^7-^19)        curred  probably  about  the  time  of  the  messenger's  arrival 

228 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John  Public  Ministry 

in  Perea.  The  nearness  of  Bethany  to  Jerusalem  (about 
two  miles)  enabled  many  from  among  the  Jews,  who  were 
friends  of  the  family,  to  visit  Martha  and  Mary  to  comfort 
them  in  the  loss  of  their  brother. 

As  Jesus  was  nearing  Bethany  word  was  brought  ahead  Martha 
of  his  coming,  and  Martha,  to  whom  the  message  was  de-  (20-22)' 
livered,  hastened  to  meet  him,  leaving  Mary  still  unac- 
quainted with  the  message,  sitting  in  the  house  with  the 
friends.     Martha  received  Jesus  with  the  lament  that  had 
he  been  with  them  their  brother  would  not  have  died. 
"And  even  now,"  she  added,  "I  know  that  God  will  give 
you  whatever  you  ask,  even  if  you  should  ask  for  the  life  of 
my  brother."     To  this  Jesus  made  answer  that  her  brother 
would  rise  again.     The  reply  seemed  to  Martha  but  little  Jesus 
more  than  the  conventional  consolation  which  she  doubtless  her  that  her 
had  received  already  from  her  Jewish  friends.     "Yes,  I  sSidse; 
know,"  she  said,  "that  he  will  rise  in  the  resurrection,  in  uq^S^-^" 
that  great  general  awakening  at  the  last  day."     Just  here  ^^^^^^x 
Jesus  seeks  to  turn  Martha's  thought  from  her  brother  to 
himself  and  to  show  her  how  the  whole  matter  of  resurrection 
is  related  to  him.     It  is  not,  he  says  in  substance,  of  the  Jesus  ex- 
resurrection  simply  as  a  future  event  of  which  I  wish  you  27) 
now  to  think,  but  rather  of  the  spiritual  and  permanent 
principle  of  all  possible  resurrection,  namely,  the  divine  life 
which  comes  through  me  and  from  me  to  all  who  believe — 
that  life,  secured  by  committing  oneself  in  full  trust  to 
me,  is  indestructible,  immortal.     He  who  carries  it  in  his 
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Public  Ministry  The  Messages  of  Jesus 

heart  as  he  enters   the   portals   of   physical   death  shall 

triumph  completely  over  death.     He  who  in  this  earthly  life 

possesses  it  shall  never  lose  it.     It  goes  on  and  on  through 

the  ages  of  eternity.     It  is  through  the  Hfe  which  I  give  to 

it  that  every  human  soul  is  victorious  over  death  in  every 

form.     Do  you  believe  this,  Martha?  Jesus  asked.     "Yes, 

Lord,"  was  her  reply.     **  I  have  come  to  believe  that  thou 

art  the  Messiah,  the  Son  of  God,  who  should  come  into  the 

world,  and  in  believing  that,  I  believe  every  word  that 

thou  dost  tell  me." 

Martha  Jesus  now  asked  her  to  call  her  sister.     With  a  great 

(28-30)^^^    hope,  inspired  by  the  words  just  spoken  to  her,  she  w^nt  to 

the  house  and  whispered  to  INIary  that  the  Master  was  near 

by  and  had  asked  to  see  her.     Mary  rose  quickly  and  went 

to  him,  to  the  spot  outside  the  village  where  Martha  had 

first  met  him  and  where  he  had  stayed  in  order  to  see  his 

The  Jews      friends  without  interruption.     In  ISIary's  case  his  purpose 

Mary  out     was  frustrated,  for  the  Jews  who  were  condoling  with  her 

(31.  32)        jj^  ^^  house,  seeing  her  arise  and  go  out  quickly,  followed 

her,  thinking  that  in  a  fresh  onrush  of  grief  she  was  going  to 

the  sepulchre  to  weep  and  that  they  could  give  her  helpful 

sympathy.     Mary,  thinking  only  of  her  great  loss,  as  soon 

as  she  came  where  Jesus  was  and  saw  his  face,  fell  at  his 

feet,  exclaiming,  "If  thou  hadst  been  here,  my  brother 

Jesus  indig-  would  not  have  died."  At  the  sight  of  the  Jews  offering  their 

sight  of        ceremonial  condolences  Jesus  was  deeply  indignant.     Hy- 

(33!^34)        pocrisy  always  stirred  him  and  so  now  it  did  to  see  these  men 

2.S0 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John   Public  Ministry 

who  were  hostile  to  all  that  Mary  and  Martha  held  best  and 
dearest  and  who  also  for  that  reason  were  in  no  true  sym- 
pathy with  them,  mingling  their  hypocritical  lamentations 
with  the  tears  of  genuine  sorrow.     It  was,  however,  no  time 
to  flame  out  against  them.     By  an  effort  which  visibly  agi- 
tated him,  he  repressed  his  indignation  and  asked  where  the 
body  of  Lazarus  had  been  laid.     The  sisters  asked  him  to 
come  with  them  and  see.     On  the  way  to  the  sepulchre  Jesus 
tears,  perhaps  of  sympathy,  perhaps  of  joy  in  view  of  the  ^mrsneer 
gladness  he  was  to  bring,  coursed  down  the  Master's  cheeks  (35-38)^"^^ 
— seeing  which  the  Jews  commented  on  how  he  loved  him. 
Some  among  them,  however,  could  not  refrain  from  sneer- 
ingly  asking  why  one  who  asserted  that  he  had  opened  the 
eyes  of  the  blind  had  not  arrived  in  time  to  prevent  the 
death  of  his   much-loved  friend?     This  taunt  revealing 
the  animus  of  these  would-be  sympathizers  caused  indigna- 
tion again  to  flame  up  in  the  heart  of  Jesus — but  he  had 
come  to  the  sepulchre  and  the  time  for  action  had  come. 
The  sepulchre  was  a  cave  shut  in  by  a  stone  laid  against  it.  The  re- 
His  first  command  was  to  take  the  stone  away.     Martha,  [heTtone 
alarmed  lest  her  brother,  disfigured  by  corruption,  should  ^^^'  ^°^ 
be  thus  exposed  to  view,  exclaimed.  Lord,  already  the  smell 
of  decay  must  be  there,  for  he  has  been  four  days  within. 
Jesus  meets  her  alarm  with  the  reassuring  question,  "Did  I 
not  tell  you  that  if  you  would  trust  me,  you  should  see  the 
glory  of  God?"     Thus  reminded,   Martha  objected  no 
further  and  the  stone  was  taken  away. 
231 


Public  Ministry 


The  Messages  of  Jesus 


Jesus  prays 
that  they 
may  see  his 
relation  to 
the  Father 
in  this 
miracle 
(41.  42) 


The  actual 
miracle 
(43.  44) 


The  result 
upon  the 
bystanders 
(45.  46) 


In  this  solemn  moment  of  expectancy  Jesus  sought  to  im- 
press upon  all  who  stood  around  his  relation  to  the  Father 
in  that  which  he  was  about  to  accomphsh.  This  miracle 
was  in  accord  with  the  Father's  will  and  was  to  be  evidence 
that  the  Father  had  sent  him.  He  had  prayed  while  in 
Perea  that  he  might  glorify  the  Father  and  therewith  him- 
self in  this  way  (vs.  4)  and  the  prayer  had  been  answered,  as, 
indeed,  were  all  his  prayers,  so  complete  was  his  fellowship 
with  God.  And  so  he  lifted  up  his  eyes  and  said,  ''Father, 
I  thank  thee  that  thou  hast  heard  me.  Nor  is  this  an  ex- 
ceptional instance;  I  know  that  thou  hearest  me  always,  but 
on  account  of  those  standing  around  me  I  have  given  thanks 
to  thee  that  they  may  know  that  thou  hast  sent  me." 

When  he  had  thus  spoken  he  cried  with  a  loud  voice, 
"Lazarus,  come  forth!"  Immediately  he  who  was  dead  came 
out  of  the  sepulchre  bound  hand  and  foot  with  grave- 
clothes;  and  his  face  was  bound  about  with  a  napkin. 
"Take  away  the  bandages,"  commanded  Jesus,  "and  let 
him  go  away." 

As  the  result  of  this  wonderful  deed,  many  of  the  Jews, 
namely,  those  who  had  come  to  visit  Mary  and  had  wit- 
nessed what  Jesus  did,  believed  on  him.  Some  of  them, 
however,  with  what  intent  does  not  appear,  went  and  told 
the  Pharisees  what  he  had  done. 


232 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John  Public  Ministry 


4.  In  Jerusalem  (11:47-53) 

Persons:  The  sanhedrin  and  Caiaphas.  In  this  short  A  faithful 
section  the  historical  situation  in  Jerusalem  at  that  time  Ke  hStori- 
is  truly  and  faithfully  depicted.  The  Pharisees  were  the  tk)^^^^^^" 
guardians  of  the  Messianic  expectations.  These  ex- 
pectations were  largely  the  product  of  the  sufferings  and 
misfortunes  of  the  Jews  from  the  days  of  Antiochus 
Epiphanes.  It  was  the  duty  of  the  sanhedrin  to  see  to 
it  that  no  false  prophet  misled  the  people.  In  their 
judgment  Jesus  was  doing  just  this.  If  he  succeeded, 
the  sanhedrin  would  lose  the  very  reason  for  its  existence 
and  nothing  would  prevent  the  Romans  from  having 
entire  control.  To  men  who  thought  thus,  the  conduct 
of  Jesus,  so  utterly  indifferent  to  pohtical  or  national 
ideas,  was  Httle  less  than  high  treason.  His  miracle- 
working  made  him  only  the  more  dangerous.  Such  an 
act  as  the  resurrection  of  Lazarus  made  their  duty  press- 
ing. For  nearly  two  years  the  Master  had  been 
watched.  Reports  of  all  his  deeds  and  sayings  had  been 
carried  to  Jerusalem.  The  enthusiasm  of  the  people  up 
to  the  crisis  in  Galilee  made  these  watch-dogs  of  ortho- 
doxy hesitate  about  action  which  might  be  too  decided. 
That  enthusiasm  had  been  quenched  after  the  feeding  of 
the  five  thousand,  but  such  miracles  as  this  would 
quickly  cause  it  to  burn  again.     "  What  are  we  doing  ?  '* 


Public  Ministry  The  Messages  of  Jesus 

is  the  self -reproachful  question  which  reflects  light  upon 
this  whole  situation. 


The  situa-        In  view  of  the  information  just  received  the  chief  priests 
prompts       (Sadducees)  and  the  Pharisees,  usually  religious  opponents, 

the  rulers 


to  caH  a  ^     United  in  calling  a  council.     "Why  are  we  not  doing  some- 
council 
(47,48) 


council        thing?"  they  asked.     Why  are  we  dallying  when  this  fellow 


is  working  miracle  after  miracle?     If  we  let  him  go  on  in 
this  way  he  will  at  last  have  the  whole  nation  on  his  side  and 
then,  in  the  attempt  to  make  him  the  Messiah,  an  insurrec- 
tion will  surely  ensue.     Such  an  issue  means  that  the 
Romans  will  interfere  and  take  from  us  both  our  capital  and 
our  nation. 
The  speech       After  Considerable  discussion,  a  certain  one  of  their  num- 
phas  '^        ber,  Caiaphas  by  name,  the  high-priest  of  that  fatal  year  of 
50)        ^j_^g  Lord's  death,  stood  up  and  said:    "When  it  comes  to 
questions  of  policy  you  seem  to  be  helplessly  ignorant.     It 
never  seems  to  occur  to  you  that  it  would  be  better  to  put 
this  one  dangerous  man  out  of  the  way  for  the  good  of  the 
people  rather  than  let  matters  through  him  come  to  such  a 
pass  that  the  whole  nation  will  be  destroyed.     That  means, 
of  course,  our  destruction  as  well."     The  council  voted  to 
adopt  this  policy  of  Caiaphas  and  from  that  time  on  the 
question  was  simply  "when  they  should  put  him  to  death." 
The  un-  In  this  recommendation  of  an  unscrupulous  diplomatist 

proph^c^y  of  the  evangelist  saw  an  unconscious  prophecy.     The  high- 

Caiapha 
(51-53) 


aiap  las      pj-jegt,  supposing  he  was  astutely  managing  affairs  so  as  to 


Accordi7ig  to  the  Gospel  of  John   Public  Ministry 

safeguard  the  power  of  himself  and  his  associates,  was  really 
forwarding  the  plan  of  God,  which  was,  through  the  sacri- 
fice of  one,  to  make  all  priesthood  superfluous.  Thus  is 
the  wrath  of  man  made  to  praise  him.  Jesus  was  to  die 
not  only  for  the  nation,  but  also  that  he  might  gather  the 
children  of  God,  who  were  scattered  in  various  places,  into 
one  people  where  distinction  of  race,  color,  and  clime  would 
be  lost  in  the  brotherhood  of  his  disciples. 

5.  Jesiis  Goes  to  Ephraim  (11:54) 

Because  of  this  decision  of  the  council  Jesus,  fully  con- 
scious of  his  dangerous  position,  stopped  his  free,  open  in- 
tercourse with  Jews,  left  Jerusalem,  and  sought  refuge  in  a 
town  called  Ephraim,  situated  on  the  edge  of  the  wilderness 
of  Bethaven,  about  thirteen  miles  northeast  of  the  capital 
(perhaps  Ophrah,  the  modern  Et-Taiyiheh).  While  there 
he  confined  himself  to  the  society  of  his  disciples. 

"It  had  become  clear  to  him  that  his  fate  would  soon  be  The  reason 
decided :  but  nothing  could  be  done  without  the  participation  waits  at 
of  the  whole  nation,  and  for  that  a  fitting  opportunity  would  (54)^^^"^ 
be  given  in  the  forthcoming  feast  of  the  Passover,  when  all 
Israel  would  again  be  assembled  in  the  capital.     He  dared 
not  fall  a  sacrifice  to  secret  snares  of  his  enemies;  and  as  it 
was  not  for  him  to  invoke  the  miraculous  protection  of 
God,  he  was  obliged  to  take  human  precaution  till  his  hour 
should  come  "  (Weiss). 

235 


Public  Ministry  The  Messages  of  Jesus 


6.  All  Watch  for  Him  in  Jerusalem  (11:55-57) 

The  Sanhe-      The  time  for  the  Passover  was  close  at  hand.     Already 
tises  for        many  from  all  parts  of  the  country  were  on  their  way  to  the 
people  ^       capital  to  undergo  those  ceremonial  purifications  which 
watch  for     ghould  make  them  ready  for  the  feast  itself.     The  sanhe- 
(55-57)        drin  had  posted  up  notices  to  the  effect  that  any  one  know- 
ing where  Jesus  was  should  inform  the  authorities  in  order 
that  they  might  arrest  him.     The  purpose  of  these  notices 
was  doubtless  partly  to  intimidate  the  people.     They  cer- 
tainly quickened  their  curiosity,  for  the  main  topic  of  con- 
versation among  those  who  stood  about  in  groups  in  the 
temple  was  the  likelihood  of  his  coming  to  the  feast.    They 
kept  looking  for  him  among  the  incoming  crowds  and,  as 
from  time  to  time  they  gathered  in  little  knots,  they  asked, 
''What  do  you  think?  That  he  will  keep  away  from  the 
feast?" 

IX 

THE   THREEFOLD  RELATIONSHIP    OF  CHRIST  (12:1-36) 

I.  Introductory 

jer,usnow         It  IS  impossible  to  tell  just  how  long  Jesus  was  at 

capital         Ephraim;  probably  not  many  days.     The  time  had  now 

come  for  his  last  journey  to  the  capital.     The  "day"  of 

which  he  had  recently  spoken  (11:9)  was  drawing  to  its 

236 


According  to  the   Gospel  of  John   Public  Ministry 

close  and  he  must  accomplish  what  yet  remained  to  be 
done  before  the  cross  should  be  set  up.  From  the  fact 
that  he  entered  the  city  from  Bethany  it  is  likely  that  he 
went  from  Ephraim  to  Jericho  to  join  the  pilgrims  to  the 
feast.  This  time  he  was  ready  to  make  a  public  ap- 
pearance at  the  festival.  In  this  twelfth  chapter  we  Place  of 
come  to  the  end  of  the  second  great  division  of  the  Gos-  in  We  hL^^ 
pel.  In  events  it  is  linked  with  the  great  solemn  week  *°^^ 
which  brought  the  end;  in  the  feelings  portrayed  it  keeps 
in  line  with  what  goes  before.  It  shows  us  the  same  mis- 
taken expectations,  the  same  bitter  antagonism,  the  same 
exceptional  devotion.  The  hght  is  brighter,  the  shad- 
ows deeper.  In  their  striking  pictures  the  author  pre- 
sents the  relationship  of  Christ  to  his  disciples,  to  the 
people,  and  to  the  outside  world.  Then  follows  a  re- 
\iew  of  the  antagonism  which  has  now  embodied  itself  in 
the  sentence  of  the  Sanhedrin  against  Jesus.  The  first  Its  contents 
part  of  the  chapter  contains  a  double  picture  of  the  posi- 
tion of  Jesus,  in  which  he  is  presented  as  winning  the  af- 
fection and  admiration  of  men  at  the  very  time  that  he  is 
under  the  death-sentence  of  the  Sanhedrin.  Both  pic- 
tures have  over  them  the  shadow  of  the  hatred  of  the 
hierarchy;  in  both  there  is  the  expression  of  ardent 
homage. 

A  moment's  glance  at  the  Synoptics  will  show  that 
the  chronological  arrangement  of  events  is  not  up- 
permost in  the  mind  of  the  writer,  for  he  has  placed  to- 

237 


Public  Ministry 


TJie  Messages  of  Jesus 


cal  order 
not  sought; 
shows 
rather  situ- 
ation in 
Judea  at 
time  of 
Passion 
week 


Chronologi-  gether  scenes  from  the  beginning  and  from  the  middle 
of  Passion  week.  It  seems  rather  to  be  his  pm-pose  to 
show  us  more  fully  the  situation  in  Judea  before  we  enter 
upon  the  events  of  the  Passion.  Amid  the  prudent  hes- 
itancy of  "the  Jews"  and  the  favoring  enthusiasm  of 
the  people  Jesus  walks  and  speaks  openly.  He  knows 
how  near  the  end  is.  Every  scene  is  quick  with  tragic 
interest.  There  are  all  through  the  chapter  the  touches 
in  description  of  an  eye-witness  (see  2,  3,  8,  9,  18,  19, 
22). 

2,   The  Supper  in  Bethany  (12:1-8) 

The  news  of  the  coming  of  Jesus  had  undoubtedly 
gone  before  him  so  that  when  he  arrived  in  Bethany 
preparations  were  on  the  way  for  a  banquet  in  his  honor. 
It  is  not  without  significance  that  Lazarus  is  especially 
mentioned.  He  is  the  constant  reminder  of  that  im- 
perishable truth,  "I  am  the  resurrection  and  the  hfe.'* 
The  head  of  Jesus  had  at  this  time  a  price  put  upon  it. 
Some  vivid  contrasts  are  apparent  in  that  guest-room  in 
Bethany.  Beside  Jesus,  doomed  to  death,  sat  the  evi- 
dence of  his  power  over  death;  Jerusalem  in  league 
against  him ;  the  very  central  forces  of  evil  vanquished ;  a 
feast  over  a  resurrection  at  which  there  was  to  be  an 
anointing  for  a  burial.  The  two  significant  moments  of 
the  evening  were  when  Mary  anointed  the  Lord  and 
when  Judas  spoke. 

238 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John  Public  Ministry 

Six  days  before  the  Passover,  that  is,  on  Friday  evening  Jesus  ar- 
just  before,  or  very  soon  after  the  beginning  of  the  Sabbath  Bethany 
(the  Jewish  day  began  at  six  o'clock  p.m.),  Jesus  arrived 
by  the  way  of  Jericho,  at  Bethany,  where  he  desired  to  spend 
the  Sabbath  quietly  with  his  friends.     Bethany  was  now 
famous  as  the  place  where  Lazarus  hved,  whom  Jesus  had 
raised  from  the  dead.     Jesus  had  been  expected,  and,  be-  A  supper  at 
fore  his  arrival,  preparations  had  been  made  for  a  banquet  house  (2) 
which  out  of  gratitude  and  for  the  sake  of  honoring  him,  was 
given  him  at  the  house  of  Simon,  the  leper.     This  Simon, 
who  had  doubtless  experienced  the  healing  touch  of  the 
Master,  seems  to  have  been  a  relative  of  Lazarus  and  his 
sisters.     So  Martha,  true  to  her  character,  sought  to  honor 
the  Lord  by  serving  him.     Lazarus,  as  a  guest,  reclined  at 
the  table  with  Jesus,  while  Mary,  desirous  of  giving  an  Mary 
especial  proof  of  her  affection  and  thankfulness  anointed  f^eTor  ^  ^ 
the  feet  of  Jesus  by  pouring  upon  them  a  flask  containing  a  ^^^^^  (3) 
pound  (Mk.  14:3)  of  pure  and  very  costly  spikenard  and 
then  drying  them  with  her  hair.     The  rich  perfume  of  the 
spikenard  filled  the  house  and  led  to  the  tactless,  calculating 
question  as  to  why  this  costly  ointment,  worth  about  fifty 
dollars,  was  not  sold,  and  the  money  given  to  the  poor. 

Matthew,  in  his  account,  attributes  this  unfeeling  ques-  judas 
tion  to  the  disciples,  but  John,  in  the  light  of  all  he  after-  ^Siess^" 
ward  knew,  traces  its  origin  to  Judas  Iscariot,  and  accounts  ?y_^|?°° 
for  it  by  no  disinterested  regard,  on  his  part,  for  the  poor, 
but  by  his  avarice,  which  had  made  him,  instead  of  an  hon- 

239 


Public  Ministry  The  Messages  of  Jesus 

est  treasurer  of  the  little  company  of  the  disciples,  a  thief 
purloining  from  time  to  time  the  contributions  which  were 
given  to  his  care.  Had  the  ointment  been  sold  the  money 
would  have  been  put  into  the  treasury  and  so  under  his 
Jesus's  re-    thieving  hand.     Let  her  alone,  said  Jesus,  let  her  keep  it. 

buke  of  the  °  ,  .,.,.,.         ,  .      , 

question  (7)  Her  purpose  was  to  anomt  me  with  it,  and  m  doing  this  she 
has  virtually  anointed  me  for  my  burial.  You  have  the 
poor  always  with  you.  There  is  no  lack  of  opportunity  for 
helping  them.  I  shall  not  be  with  you  always.  That  fact 
justifies  this  expenditure. 

3.    The  Triumphal  Entry  (12:9-19) 

Keim's  es-        Keim  tells  us  that  "in  the  face  of  the  irritability  of  his 
timate  opponents,  in  the  face  of  the  powerful  means  at  their  dis- 

posal for  crushing  him  with  the  speed  of  w4nd  and  the 
force  of  storm,  there  remained  to  him  but  one  chance, 
but  one  dreadful  weapon — reckless  pubhcity,  the  con- 
quest of  the  partially  prepared  nation  by  means,  not  of 
force,  but  of  idea,  by  the  bold  and  complete  unfurling  of 
the  clearly  and  loudly  and — to  the  popular  mind — elo- 
quently speaking  banner  of  that  Messiahship  the  secret 
of  which  he  had  so  long  hidden  within  himself  and  of 
which  he  had  held  possession  with  growing  certainty  of 
victory  notwithstanding  all  he  had  suffered.  He  staked 
his  life  upon  the  venture."  There  is  not  an  iota  of  evi- 
dence in  any  of  the  evangelists  that  Jesus  ever  changed 
240 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John  Public  Ministry 

his  conception  of  Messlahship.  If  Keira  has  said  all 
that  can  be  said  of  the  triumphal  entry,  it  was  a 
poor,  foolish,  short-sighted  venture.  The  crowd  which 
shouted  that  day  the  equivalent  of  our  modern  "God 
save  the  King"  was  ready  within  four  days  to  cry  "Cru- 
cify him."  The  glory  of  the  Bethany  miracle  filled  the 
eyes  of  the  multitude.  The  narrative  keeps  that  in  the 
foreground.  So,  too,  the  tidings  of  the  exasperation  of 
the  hierarchy,  who  were  not  loved  by  the  people,  were 
spread  abroad.  It  must  be  death  or  acceptance  of  the  The  mo- 
position  they,  the  people,  would  give  him  as  their  leader,  multitude^ 
So  they  thought,  why  not,  then,  use  this  critical  moment 
to  compel  him  to  lead  them?  These  are  the  motives 
lying  behind  the  action  of  the  multitude.  Jesus  knew 
well  enough  what  their  conceptions  and  hopes  were.  He 
played  no  bold  game.  He  acted  consistently  bis  part, 
choosing  to  ride  to  the  city  with  no  stately  pomp  nor 
worldly  display.  This  is  the  same  Messiah  whom  John 
has  been  presenting  to  us  in  one  chapter  after  another. 
The  scene  is  true  to  the  spirit  of  all  the  Gospels.     Its  Jesus  in 

.  „   ,         ••11  this  scene 

symbols  of  peace  and  its  signs  oi  dominion  had  no  quar-  consistent 
rel  to  make  with  either  Jew  or  Roman,  except  as  right-  self 
eousness  and  truth  were  withstood  by  evil  or  falsehood. 
John  wishes  us  to  see  this  as  the  disciples  saw  it  when, 
after  the  ascension,  they  looked  back  upon  the  strange 
procession,  interpreting  it  by  words  from  the  prophecy  of 
Zechariah,  as  Jesus  meant  they  should. 
241 


Public  Ministry  The  Messages  of  Jesus 

Many  go  The  news  of  the  presence  of  Jesus,  in  Bethany,  was 

Bethany  to   brought  to  the   city  by  the  caravan  with  which  he  had 
counsel'      travelled  from  Jericho.     It  is  not  strange,  therefore,  in  view 
against^^°    of  the  eager  questioning  about  him  (11:56),  that  a  large 
Lazarus       company  of  the  Jews — his  usual  opponents — went  out  to  the 
nearby  village  to  see  both  him  and  Lazarus,  whose  resur- 
rection from  the  dead  made  him  an  object  of  the  deepest 
interest.     In  the  case  of  many  of  them,  "seeing  was  be- 
lieving," and  they  quietly  withdrew  from  among  those  who 
were  hostile,  and  in  trustful  faith  cast  in  their  part  and  lot 
with  Jesus.     The  discovery  of  this  fact  led  the  chief  priests 
to  make  plans  for  putting  Lazarus,  too,  out  of  the  way. 

An  outline        The  above  words  are  introductory  to  the  triumphal 
of  the  ^  °^^  entry  and  explain  how  the  company  which  folloiced 
enTrT^^^^     Jcsus  to  the  city  was  augmented.     It  may  be  well,  using 
the  narrative  of  the  other  gospels,  to  give  an  outline  of 
the  story,  showing  thereby  how  John's  brief  account  fits 
into  it.     On  the  day  after  the  feast,  that  is  on  our  Sun- 
day, Jesus  determined  to  go  into  Jerusalem.    He  was  aC' 
companied  by  a  considerable  number  of  followers,  by  his 
disciples,  and  those  who  had,  on  account  of  the  miracle, 
come  to  believe  on  him  (11 :  45;  12 :  11).     They  were  all 
not  far  on  the  way  from  Bethany,  when  word  was  brought 
that  a  great  company  was  on  its  way  from  Jerusalem 
bearing  palm  branches  as  those  going  forth  to  meet  a 
conqueror.     These  palms  revealed  to  Jesus  the  motive 
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According  to  the   Gospel  of  JoJin   Public  Ministry 

of  the  multitude  and  he  determined  then  and  there  to 
act  out  the  prophetic  description  of  Zechariah,  leaving  the 
people  to  interpret  the  scene,  if  they  could,  as  he  wished 
it.  Sending  to  a  friend  in  Bethphage,  a  large  village 
just  at  hand,  he  asked  of  him  the  use  of  an  ass's  colt 
which,  not  being  yet  employed,  could  be  spared.  Mount- 
ing this,  Jesus  rode  toward  the  city.  The  crowd  which 
had  come  out  from  Jerusalem  turned  about  and  went 
before  him.  Those  following  him  from  Bethany  con- 
tinued on  about  and  behind  him.  All  sang  with  hopeful 
rejoicing,  "Hosanna.  Blessed  is  he  that  cometh'* 
(Matt.  21 :  1-11;  Mark  11 :  1-11;  Luke  19:  29-44). 

On  the  next  day,  that  is,  on  our  Sunday,  it  was  rumored  The  incep- 
about  among  the  crowds  which  had  come  up  to  the  feast  "Entry" 
that  Jesus  was  coming  that  day  to  Jerusalem.    The  story  of  ^^^'  ^^^ 
the  resurrection  of  Lazarus  was  upon  all  lips,  and  enthu- 
siasm was  hourly  becoming  more  intense  (13-18).     Swiftly 
the  suggestion  that  Jesus  should  be  welcomed  as  their  king 
was  accepted  and  group  after  group  of  pilgrims  turned  tow- 
ard the  Bethany  road,  providing  themselves,  as  they  went, 
with  palm  branches  from  the  trees  by  the  way.     With  these 
they  would  greet  him  as  Simon  IMaccabaeus  once  had  been 
when  as  a  conqueror  he  entered  the  capital  (i  Mac.  13:51). 

As  they  moved  along  they  waved  these  palms  and,  adopt- 
ing the  words  of  welcome  given  by  the  priests  to  the  pilgrims 
to  the  feast,  cried  out,  "Hosanna:  Blessed  is  he  who  com- 
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Public  Ministry  The  Messages  of  Jesus 

eth  in  the  name  of  the  Lord!"     To  which  they  added  in 

order  to  make  the  appHcation  of  their  welcome  specific, 

''Blessed  be  the  King  of  Israel!"     In  the  prophecy  of 

Zechariah  it  is  written,  "Rejoice  greatly,  O  daughter  of 

Zion;  shout,  O  daughter  of  Jerusalem;  behold,  thy  king 

Cometh  unto  thee;  he  is  just  and  having  salvation,  lowly  and 

riding  upon  an  ass,  even  upon  a  colt,  the  foal  of  an  ass" 

Jesus  acts     (Zech.  9:  9).     This  prophecy  Jesus  acted  out  Kterally  be- 

prophecy  of  fore  the  people,  leaving  to  them  its  interpretation.    It  is  not 

^Tt^s)^     surprising  that  they  entirely  missed  it,  for  the  disciples 

themselves  did  not  at  the  time  understand  the  significance 

Neither  the  of  it  all.     Only  after  the  ascension  and  the  consequent  en- 

the  disd-""^    lightenment  of  the  Spirit  did  they  grasp  the  meaning  of  the 

stancTif  ^"^    prophecy  and  of  what  they  had  assisted  in  accompHshing 

(16)  when  they  joined  in  the  homage  that  day  on  the  Bethany 

road.     John  omits  all  the  details  regarding  the  securing  of 

John  shows  the  colt;  he  is  rather  intent  upon  showing  the  relation  of  the 

of  ^this^^^^^    triumphal  entry  to  the  raising  of  Lazarus  and  to  the  con- 

eventsU?    demnation  of  Jesus,  hence  he  passes  to  note  first,  that  that 

**fte/°^       part  of  thexompany  which  was  with  Jesus  when  he  raised 

(17-19)        Lazarus  (11:  42)  bore  witness  to  the  fact  in  all  directions, 

and  that  on  account  of  this  testimony  the  crowds  were 

moved  to  go  out  from  Jerusalem  to  meet  Jesus;  secondly, 

that  the  Pharisees  perceived  their  helplessness  in  view  of 

the  wide-spread  enthusiasm  for  Jesus.     "Do  you  not  see," 

they  said  to  one  another,  "how  helpless  you  are?    The 

world  has  gone  after  him." 

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According  to  the  Gospel  of  Joh7i   Public  Ministiy 

4.  THE  REQUEST  OF  THE  GREEKS  (12:20-36) 

(i)  Introductory 

The  selective  character  of  John's  narrative  is  here  The  signifi- 
emphasized  by  the  presence  of  this  one  event  out  of  the  this'^event 
many  which  occurred  between  the  triumphal  entry  and  ^^  ^°  ^ 
the  Last  Supper.  The  fact  that  it  is  the  only  recorded 
event  from  three  busy  days  of  teaching  and  working 
compels  attention.  It  must  have  something  significant 
about  it.  It  was  the  kind  of  event  that  needed  the  full 
light  of  Christ's  finished  work  and  the  spread  of  Chris- 
tianity to  give  it  full  interpretation.  As  it  stands  in  the 
Gospel  it  requires  considerable  reading  between  the 
lines.  The  time  of  it  is  not  distinctly  given,  but  it  came 
probably  at  the  close  of  the  conflict  with  the  Jews.  As 
throwing  light  upon  the  request  of  the  Greeks,  one 
should  bear  in  mind  the  intense  constant  interest  of  the 
people;  the  impatient  malignant  watchfulness  of  the 
authorities. 

It  may  have  been  that  "these  proselytes  of  the  gate," 
seeing  the  opposition  of  the  leaders  of  the  people,  desired 
to  invite  Jesus  to  take  up  his  residence  in  some  foreign 
land  where  he  might  expect  honorable  welcome.  Be 
that  as  it  may,  opportunity  was  given  to  Jesus  to  set 
forth  the  way  by  which  his  going  out  to  the  world  was  to 
be  accomphshed.     His  words  have  over  them  the  sharp- 

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Public  Ministry  The  Messages  of  Jesus 

ly  defined  shadow  of  the  cross.  They  set  forth  what  is 
vitally  necessary  in  order  that  a  Messiah  to  the  Jews 
shall  be  a  spiritual  Messiah  to  them  and  to  the  world. 
They  state  what  must  be  in  order  that  a  Hebrew  temple 
may  become  a  universal  sanctuary.  Herein  is  their  sig- 
nificance for  the  Fourth  Gospel.  The  whole  chapter 
brings  out  by  its  chosen  pictures  both  the  spiritual  na- 
ture of  the  real  Messiah  and  "the  promise  and  potency'* 
of  the  cross.  Perhaps  Pauline  teaching  gave  imperish- 
able importance  to  this  third  scene  in  which  the  Greeks 
figure.  Jesus  makes  three  short  addresses  which  are  of 
a  thematic  character,  thus  showing  that  we  have  only  an 
outline  of  what  he  said.  Verses  25,  26  and  286  show 
the  hand  of  the  evangehst. 

Who  these  Among  the  vast  concourse  of  pilgrims  who  gathered  at 
were  (20)  Jerusalem  for  the  Passover,  were  many  Gentiles  who  had 
embraced  the  Jewish  religion.  These  "proselytes  of  the 
gate,"  as  they  were  called,  were  allowed  the  privileges  of 
the  outer  court  of  the  temple,  where  in  worship  they  pre- 
sented their  burnt-offerings  and  thank-offerings.  Among 
these  foreigners  were  at  this  time  some  Greeks  who,  having 
heard  much  of  Jesus,  desired  to  have  an  earnest  interview 
with  him  upon  religious  matters.  Either  because  they  came, 
perhaps,  from  a  region  not  far  from  Bethsaida  (Philip's 
home)  or  because  they  recognized  his  Greek  name,  they  ap- 
proached him  with  their  desire. 
246 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John  Public  Ministry- 
Philip,  realizing  the  exceptional  character  of  this  re-  The  signifi- 
quest,  consulted  Andrew,  and  they  concluded  to  go  with  the  request  to 
request  to  Jesus.  The  evangelist  does  not  tell  us  whether  or  ^^"^ 
not  it  was  granted,  but  immediately  turns  to  note  the  sig- 
nificance of  it  in  the  mind  of  Jesus.  Perhaps  the  Greeks 
followed  the  disciples  and  heard  what  Jesus  said.  Their 
presence  is  no  longer  of  importance  to  the  evangelist.  It  is 
the  request  of  Gentiles  that,  from  a  wholly  different  point 
of  view  from  that  of  the  opposition  of  the  hierarchy  and  the 
persistently  mistaken  hopes  of  the  people,  tells  Jesus  that 
his  work  in  Israel  is  near  its  end.  Gentiles  seeking  en- 
trance to  the  kingdom  of  God!  Then  the  decisive  hour  is 
come  in  which  through  death  the  Son  of  Man  shall  be 
raised  to  glory  and  shall  give  life  to  the  world.  How  this 
shall  be  and  must  be  is  now  opened  in  a  brief  address  in 
which  Jesus  speaks,  partly  in  parable  and  partly  in  terms  of 
experience,  of  the  way  to  life's  enlargement  and  glorification. 

(2)  First  Address :   The  Way  to  Life's  Enlargement 
and  Glorification  (12:24-26) 

I.  In  Nature — dissolution  (24)  (of  the  grain). 

(a)  Processes :   (1)  Falling  into  the  ground. 

(2)  Actual  decomposition. 
{h)  Result:  Bearing  much  fruit. 

II.  In  personal  experience — hating  one's  life  (25). 
Note:   Here  the  terms  are  equivalent     to     the 
conditions. 

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Public  Ministry  The  Messages  of  Jesus 

(a)  Lo\ing  one's  life;  abiding  alone. 
(6)  Hating  one's  life;  the  outreach  of  the 
seed  (grain). 
Result:     One  keeps  himself  for  "life 
eternal." 
III.  In  Christian  service — following  him. 
Results : 

(a)  Where  I  am  there  also  my  servant  shall 

be. 

(b)  Him  will  I  honor. 

Jesus  shows  I  have  just  spoken  of  the  glorification  of  the  Son  of  Man. 
sity  of  his  To  come  to  it  I  must  go  that  way  which  is  alike  the  way  to 
(24-26)  glorification  in  nature  and  in  human  experience.  Truly  no 
seed  can  bear  fruit  unless  it  fall  into  the  ground  and  die. 
As  long  as  in  the  granary  it  holds  its  life  within  the  shell,  it 
remains  but  a  single  seed — fruitless.  Let  it  be  sown  and 
then  it  perishes  as  a  seed  only  to  be  born  again  in  a  multitude 
of  grains  like  itself.  And  the  same  law  appears  in  human 
experience.  The  man  who  loves  his  life,  that  is,  selfishly 
seeks  to  gratify  simply  his  own  desires  and  to  minister  to  his 
own  needs,  shall  find  in  the  end  that  he  is  narrowed,  warped, 
and  degraded  by  his  selfishness,  lost  to  every  spiritual  desire 
and  aim;  while  he  who  gives  up  his  life  freely  to  the  service 
of  others  and  in  self-sacrifice  and  self-renunciation  treats  his 
hfe  in  this  world  as  though  he  hated  it,  shall  guard  it  unto  the 
blessedness  of  eternal  being.  All  this  holds  true  with  refer- 
248 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John  Public  Ministry 

ence  to  me,  and  if  any  man  will  serve  me  let  him  follow  me 
along  this  way  of  self-sacrifice.  Where  I  am  there  shall  he, 
my  servant,  be,  and  because  of  his  service  the  Father  will 
honor  him. 

Even  now  at  the  prospect  of  what  is  before  me  my  soul  is  Jesus 
sorely  troubled.     What  am  I  to  say  regarding  it?     Shall  from  his 
I  pray, ' ' Father,  save  me  from  this  hour"  ?     That  would  be  cSn^o't'i'Jly 
the  cry  of  nature  shrinking  from  the  anguish  and  horror.  [°  A^'^^p^  ^^ 
But  I  cannot  pray  this  for  steadfastly  I  have  come  to  this 
hour  with  the  purpose  of  self-sacrifice  in  order  to  save  the 
world.     My  prayer  is,  "Father,  glorify  thy  name!     Make  His  prayer 
complete  the  manifestation  of  thy  self-sacrificing  love — even 
at  the  expense  of  my  agony!  " 

To  this  prayer  came  an  "Amen"  from  heaven,  for  just  at  The  thun- 
that  moment  a  peal  of  thunder  was  heard  from  the  clouds  preted  as  an 
which  had  gathered  above.     "To  the  religious  sense  of  the  ^(^l^ll) 
Israelites  thunder  had  ever  seemed  to  be  the  voice  of  God 
(see  Ps.  29),  and  now  it  appeared  to  the  followers  of  Jesus 
like  a  voice  from  heaven  in  which  the  Father  through  an 
angel,  gave  the  Son  an  answer.     Jesus  openly  declared  that 
he  needed  no  such  answer,  for  he  knew  that  the  Father  was 
ever  ready  to  hear  him.     But  he  rejoiced  that  they  saw 
therein  the  confirmation  of  his  having  been  heard  which  the 
evangelist  clothes  in  the  words :    I  have  glorified  my  name 
and  will  glorify  it  again  "  (Weiss).    Jesus  then  speaks  of  the 
significance  of  the  Passion  which  is  to  cost  him  so  much. 


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Public  Ministry  The  Messages  of  Jesus 

(3)  Second  Address :    The  Significance  of  the  Passion 
(12:27-33) 

I.  It  is  the  judgment  of  the  world  (31). 
II.  It  is  to  bring  about  the  casting  out  of  the  prince 
of  the  world. 
III.  It  will  draw  all  men  unto  him. 

The  hour  of      As  for  a  while  the  thought  of  death  troubled  the  heart 
crfticaT^^°^  of  the  Master,  so  now  his  vision  of  what  the  certain  issue 
(31.  32)        of 'his  sacrifice  was  to  bring  revealed  to  his  hearers  not  only 
''the  joy  that  was  set  before  him,"  but  also  the  "fruit"  of 
which  he  had  spoken.     The  hour  of  the  Passion  would,  in- 
deed, be  critical.     Therein  the  world  would  be  judged.     By 
rejecting  him  it  would  show  its  true  attitude  toward  God 
and  stand  self -condemned.     In  that  hour  also  was  to  begin 
that  process  of  winning  men  to  spiritual  truth  which  should 
cast  out  from  their  hearts  the  ruler  of  this  world  and  free 
them  from  his  destructive  dominion.     Yes,  more  than  that. 
The  exaltation  of  Jesus  would,  by  the  force  of  its  attractive 
revelation  of  the  love  of  God,  draw  all  men  to  himself  as 
their  Lord.     In  all  this  the  Greeks  had  an  unfailing  promise 
that  they  should  "see  him." 
John's  in-         John,  in  commenting  upon  the  declaration  "I,  if  I  be 
S"***'"""  lifted  up  from  (out  of)  the  earth,"  says  that  it  signified  the 
nature  of  Christ's  atoning  death.     The  sense  which  he  gives 
to  the  word  glorification  includes  both  the  death  (with  per- 
250 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John  Public  Ministry 

haps  a  hint  here  at  the  elevation  upon  the  cross)  and  the 
ascension  of  Jesus. 

(4)  The  Perplexity  of  the  Jews  and  Christ's  Treat- 

ment 0/  it  (12:34) 

Once  more  the  Jews  were  brought  face  to  face  with  a  The  per- 
contradiction  of  their  current  idea  of  the  Messiah.  On  the  the^peopie 
basis  of  their  interpretation  of  the  Old  Testament  (Isa. 
9:  5-7;  Dan.  7: 14;  Ps.  no:  4;  89:  41),  they  believed  that 
when  the  Messiah  came  he  would  reign  forever  upon  the 
throne  of  David.  Jesus  claimed  to  be  the  '*  Son  of  Man"  and 
thev,  knew  also  that  he  wished  no  less  to  be  the  Messiah,  but 
what  he  had  said  about  being  'lifted  up  from  (out  of)  the 
earth"  could  not  be  true  of  the  Messiah.  Who,  then,  was 
this  one  who  styled  himself  the  Son  of  Man? 

To  this  question  Jesus  gave  no  answer.  Instead  he  tried 
once  more  to  have  them  understand  the  seriousness  of  their 
position.  The  time  for  them  was  nearing  its  close.  Tak- 
ing once  more  the  symbol  of  the  day  and  its  light  he  speaks 
to  them  of  their  duty. 

(5)  Third  Address :  Their  Duty  in  Reference  to  the 

Light  (12:35,  36) 

I.  To  walk  in  it  (35) .     Since : 

(a)  It  is  to  be  with  them  but  a  little  while. 

(b)  Darkness  may  overtake  them. 

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Public  Ministry  The  Messages  of  Jesus 

(c)  One    walking   in    darkness    knows    not 
whither  he  is  going. 
II.  To  believe  in  it  (36). 

Purpose:     That  they  may  become  sons  of 
hght. 

The  time  of      Paying  no  attention  to  their  rather  sneering  question, 

opportunity  ,11.  r      1  i  1       1 

for  the  J  esus  told  them  m  a  tone  of  solemn  earnestness  that  the  day 
itslnd^^'^  of  their  salvation  was  drawing  near  to  its  close.  Very  soon, 
^^^^'  like  the  sun  upon  the  western  horizon,  the  hght  of  truth  and 

life  would  be  gone.    As  you  have  the  light,  walk  in  a  manner 
suitable  to  the  fact.     Seek  to  understand  me  and  all  that  I 
have  to  tell  you  of  God,  of  life,  and  of  the  future.     Do  this 
that  that  darkness  may  not  overtake  you  which  will  come 
Their  duty,  when  the  divine  revelation  given  you  in  me  is  gone.     In  that 
peril  if"hey  darkuess  you  will  be  spiritually  as  a  man  who  walks  in  the 
(afb)'^*^^      darkness  of  the  night;  he  knows  not  whither  he  is  going. 
As  up  to  this  moment  you  have  the  Hght,  treat  me  as  the 
Hght;  receive  the  revelation  I  have  given  you;  yield  your- 
selves to  its  beneficent,  saving  power  that  you  may  become 
through  me,  the  Hght,  children  of  Hght,  that  is,  disciples 
deHghting  in  all  that  I  reveal. 
Jesus  hides       Having  thus  spoken  he  went  away  and  for  a  time  was 
(36c)  hidden  from  them.    For  them  the  light  was  gone.    His  last 

words  to  the  world  were  those  of  exhortation  and  promise. 


252 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John  Public  Ministry 


A   REVIEW   OF   JEWISH   UNBELIEF   BY   THE   EVAN- 
GELIST   (12:37-50) 

We  have  in  these  few  verses  an  epilogue  to  the  second 
great  division  of  the  Gospel,  chapters  5-12.  It  is 
instructive  in  two  ways.  It  sets  before  us  the  causes  of 
the  unbehef  which  has  all  along  been  one  of  the  main 
subjects  of  interest  in  the  Gospel,  and  it  shows  us  how  the 
evangelist  gathers  together  some  of  the  main  teachings 
of  the  Gospel  and  puts  them  into  the  form  of  an  address. 
Verses  44-50  are  in  arrangement  the  work  of  the  writer 
of  the  Gospel.  They  are  introduced  by  the  words,  The  pecu- 
"  Jesus  cried  out  and  said,"  but  they  are  not  an  address  ter  of  this 
of  Jesus  in  its  original  form.  There  is  no  indication  of  tion^^  ^^^' 
either  occasion  or  locality  for  the  words  said  to  have 
been  spoken.  Themes  reappear  which  have  been  be- 
fore us  in  earlier  chapters.  Too  much  should  not  be 
concluded  from  all  this.  The  words  are  not  fictions  of 
the  evangelist,  though  their  arrangement  is.  Jesus  at 
one  time  or  another  had  said  them.  They  are  intro- 
duced in  this  concrete  way  with  strict  truthfulness  as  to 
their  source.  The  purpose  in  grouping  them  is  to  bring 
out  clearly  the  serious  consequences  of  the  unbehef  of 
the  Jews.    It  is  a  clear  instance  where  subjectivity  ap- 

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Public  Ministry  The  Messages  of  Jesus 

pears  in  the  use  and  arrangement  of  truths  spoken  on 
different  occasions  but  made  serviceable  by  arrangement 
for  a  specific  purpose  of  the  evangelist.  The  passage 
naturally  falls  into  two  divisions,  37-43  giving  us  the 
cause  of  Jewish  unbehef,  44-50  the  responsibility  for  it 
and  its  serious  consequences. 

I.  The  Cause  (12:37-43) 

The  reia-         To  the  evangelist  it  was  clear  beyond  all  question  that 

prophecy  to  Jesus  was  the  Messiah,     How  was  it  then  that  his  own 

lief  of  the     people,  destined  by  God  to  have  him  in  their  midst,  to  hear 

(37-^41)        ^i^  teachings,  and  to  witness  many  miracles  performed 

openly  before  them,  would  not  believe  in  him  ?     The  answer 

to  this  question  John  finds  in  the  relation  of  prophecy  to  the 

whole  situation. 

As  a  messenger  of  God  Isaiah  could  not  in  his  day  en- 
lighten a  favored  but  hardened  people.  His  lamentation 
was,  "Who  hath  believed  what  we  teach?"  "To  whom 
has  the  power  of  God  been  revealed?"  The  reason  of  his 
failure  was  in  that  bitter  process  which  unbelief  had  set 
going;  in  the  outworking  of  that  law  in  the  realm  of  soul  by 
which  the  power  of  seeing  is  gradually  taken  from  him  who 
will  not  see.  "By  abuse  of  light  Nature  produces  callous- 
ness, and  what  Nature  does  God  does."  Isaiah  had  seen  the 
glory  of  Christ.  If  the  people  turned  from  his  prophetic 
teaching  concerning  God,  they  would  surely  turn  from  the 
254 


According  to  the   Gospel  of  John   Public  Ministry 

teaching  and  work  of  God  incarnate.  Their  unbelief 
would  make  it  impossible  for  them  to  see  and  turn  and  be 
healed.  All  this  Isaiah  told.  It  was  not  the  prediction 
which  caused  the  future  event,  but,  with  something  of  the 
power  of  God,  to  whom  there  is  no  "before"  or  ''after,"  the 
prophet  looked  upon  the  fact  as  existent  and  declared  it. 
It  must  therefore  come  to  pass. 

Wide-spread  and  sad  as  the  unbeHef  of  Israel  was,  there  The  kind  of 
were,  nevertheless,  even  among  the  rulers  many  who  be-  among°?he 
lieved  on  him.     Their  faith,  however,  was  in  most  cases  (42^4^3) 
simply  intellectual;  certainly  it  was  cowardly  for,  on  ac- 
count of  the  Pharisees,  they  refused  to  confess  Jesus  openly, 
fearing  that  they  might  be  excommunicated  from  the  syna- 
gogue.    The  ultimate  reason  for  their  lack  of  confession 
was  their  desire  for  the  approbation  of  men  rather  than  the 
approbation  of  God. 

2.   The  Seriousness  of  the  Unbelief  of  the  Jews 
(12:44-50) 

Under  the  form  of  an  address  spoken  by  Jesus  the  evan- 
gehst  aims  now  to  set  forth  the  gravity  of  the  unbelief 
whose  cause  he  has  just  been  declaring.  In  the  first  place  It  is  a  rejec- 
it  is  virtually  a  rejection  of  God  himself,  since  faith  in  Jesus  (IJ^J)  45)  ° 
is  not  faith  in  him  alone,  separated  from  the  Father  and 
coming  of  himself;  it  is  faith  in  one  who  is  solely  an  ambas- 
sador of  God.     The  spiritual  eye  can  and  does  see  ever 

255 


Public  Ministry 

more  clearly  through  his  life  and  thought  the  nature  and 
purposes  of  the  Father,     As  a  light  thus  upon  God  and  his 
relations  to  men  Jesus  was  come  unto  the  world  in  order 
that  every  one  who  would  accept  this  light  might  no  longer 
It  is  a  re-      abide  in  spiritual  darkness.     Secondly,  their  unbelief  is 
God's^  °       virtually  a  rejection  of  God's  truth,  since  the  truth  which 
Ue!  47)        Jesus  had  spoken  was  not  simply  his  own  message  but  was, 
all  of  it,  in  both  matter  and  form,  from  the  Father.     The 
great  central  purpose  of  that  message  which  he  was  com- 
manded to  speak,  was  eternal  life  so  vital  and  unique  that 
he  had  given  it  just  as  the  Father  gave  it  to  him  without  the 
Unbelief  in-  slightest  alteration.     The  rejection  of  such  a  message  en- 
fuHudg^"     tailed  a  woful  judgment.     That  judgment  was  not  made 
^8-50)        personally  by  Jesus.     He  did  not  come  into  the  world  to 
condemn  it ;  his  purpose  was  rather  to  save  it.     Unbelief, 
however,  will  find  itself  judged  and  that,  too,  by  the  very 
word  which  it  has  rejected.     This  will  be  the  solemn  real- 
ization of  the  last  great  day. 


256 


JESUS   AND   HIS   DISCIPLES 

THE    SELF-REVELATION    MADE    TO    FAITH 

Chapters  13-17 


JESUS   AND    HIS   DISCIPLES 

I 

THE   PURIFICATION    OF    THE   DISCIPLES'    FAITH    (13) 

I.  Introductory 

With  the  beginning  of  this  chapter  we  enter  the  fourth  The  change 
division  of  the  Gospel.     It  is  concerned  almost  entirely  phere  in 
with  the  disciples.     The  bitter  antagonism  which  is  [gr?^  ^^^^ 
constantly  evident  in    the  chapters  we  have  finished 
passes  now,  for  a  season,  out  of  sight.     The  disappear- 
ance of  Judas  is,  indeed,  suggestive  of  its  ceaseless  ac- 
tivity, but  in  that  upper  room  where  they  sat  down  to 
supper  and  where  Jesus  spoke,  one's  interest  is  fixed 
and  fascinated  by  revelations  which  present  to  faith  a 
Messiah  worthy  of  its  fullest  exercise.     It  is  well  known  The  differ- 
that  a  marked  difference  exists  between  the  Synoptics  tween 
and  John  in  regard  to  the  time  of  the  Last  Supper.  andTohn 
The  two  facts  which  the  Johannine  narrative  gives  us 
are  (l)  a  supper  before  the  Feast  of  the  Passover;  (2) 
the  death  of  Jesus  before  the  eating  by  the  Jews  of 
the  actual  Passover.      These  data  seem  to  be  in  accord 
with  the  accurate  history  of  events. 

259 


His  Disciples 


TJie  Messages  of  Jesus 


Indications 
that  John's 
narrative 
is  right 


There  are  incidental  indications  in  the  Synoptics  that 
John's  order  is  really  the  right  one,  that  is,  the  careful- 
ness of  the  Sanhedrin  not  to  arrest  Jesus  on  the  feast 
day  (Mk.  14:2)  and  the  desire  to  get  the  bodies  down 
from  the  cross,  presumably,  before  the  beginning  of  the 
feast  (Mk.  15:  42).  As  showing  that  the  supper  of  this 
chapter  is  distinct  from  the  regular  Passover,  the  dis- 
ciples understood  Jesus  in  saying  to  Judas,  "That  thou 
doest,  do  quickly,"  to  be  giving  him  a  command  to  make 
the  necessary  purchases  for  the  feast  or  to  give  some  of 
the  funds  in  order  to  pro\dde  a  Paschal  supper  for  the 
poor  (Jn.  13:27-29).  The  time  of  the  various  events 
we  are  now  to  consider  may  be  arranged  as  follows : 


Thursday 


Friday 


6  P.M. 


Judgment  given. 


Crucifixion. 
Slaughter  of  Paschal  Lamb. 


Supper 
Gethsemane 
Judicial  examination 


Passover. 


'  The  day  is  reckoned  from  6  p.m.  of  Thursday  to  6  P.M.  on  Friday. 
260 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  JoJin      His  Disciples 

"It  seems  on  the  whole  to  be  safe  to  say  that  if  the  two 
accounts  are  to  be  harmonized  it  is  not  Saint  John  who 
will  need  to  be  corrected  from  the  Synoptists,  but  the 
Synoptists  who  will  have  to  be  corrected  by  Saint  John" 
(Sanday). 

2.  General  Introduction  to  Chapters  13-17  (13:1) 

As  introductory  to  all  this  portion  of  the  Gospel,  the 
evangelist  states  that  it  was  before  the  Feast  of  the  Passover, 
that  is,  on  the  last  night  of  his  life,  that  Jesus,  because  he 
knew  that  the  time  was  close  at  hand  when  he  must  leave 
this  world  and  go  to  the  Father,  expressed  to  the  uttermost 
his  tender  love  toward  those  for  whom  as  his  own  in  the 
world  he  had  all  along  shown  a  changeless  aifection.  This 
crowning  expression  of  love  included  all  that  happened  that 
night  in  that  upper  room. 

3.  The  Washing  oj  the  Disciples^  Feet  (13:2-20) 

This  acted  parable  of  Jesus  is  prefaced  by  the  above  Jesus's 
words  which  form  really  an  introduction  to  this  whole  thought  of 
division  of  the  Gospel.     In  them  is  struck  the  key-note  pj^s  ^^"" 
of  all  the  sad  but  tender  strains  that  fill  the  chapter  im- 
mediately following.     Instead  of  being  occupied  with 
himself  at  this  critical  hour  when  a  terrible  death  was 
close  upon  him,  he  thinks  continually  only  of  the  way 
by  which  he  may  serve  and  help  his  disciples.     Opinions 
261 


His  Disciples  The  Messages  of  Jesus 

differ  as  to  the  motive  of  the  washing.  Was  it  the  dis- 
pute of  the  disciples  recorded  in  Luke  22 :  24-27  ?  It 
has  been  objected  that  such  a  dispute  was  singularly  out 
of  place.  So  it  was,  but  the  disciples  had  shown  them- 
selves capable  of  such  contention.  Also  that  John's  ac- 
count "does  not  recognize  it  or  agree  with  it"  except  in 
so  far  as  the  act  itself  may  bear  upon  it.  Luke's  state- 
ment (vs.  27),  "I  am  among  you  as  he  that  serveth," 
points  toward  this  scene,  and  the  fact  that  Jesus  rises 
from  the  table  seems  to  demand  some  such  occasion  as 
John's  aim  the  dispute  would  offer.  John  aims  to  show  the  reach 
of  the  condescension,  rather  than  the  motive  of  it.  The 
scene  has  many  of  the  touches  of  an  eye-witness. 


in  this  nar 
rative 


The  rivalry       The  first  manifestation  of  Jesus's  love  came  at  the  supper. 

cipies  ^^"  Absorbed,  doubtless,  in  their  contention  as  to  who  was  to  be 
accounted  the  greater  (Luke  22 :  24)  the  disciples  had  taken 
their  places  at  the  table  without  the  customary  washing  of 
the  road  dust  from  their  feet.     The  spirit  engendered  by 

The  acted     the  dispute  repudiated  any  such  service.     Jesus,  desiring  to 

je'sus  (4°/s)  rebuke  their  pride  and  to  show  them  that  they  must  never 
esteem  themselves  above  any  service  which  love  required, 
rose  from  the  table,  laid  aside  his  upper  garments,  girded 
himself  with  a  towel,  and  with  a  basin  of  water  set  about  the 
task.  As  showing  the  greatness  of  this  loving  condescen- 
sion, we  are  told  that  Judas  in  the  blackness  of  his  heart  had 
already  adopted  the  devilish  purpose  of  betraying  him,  and 
262 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  JoJin       His  Disciples 

that  Jesus  performed  the  service  with  the  full  consciousness 
of  his  incomparable  sovereign  position  and  of  his  divine 
origin  and  destiny. 

Following  the  order  in  which  they  were  reclining  he  came  Peter's  pro- 
to  Peter.     The  incongruity  of  the  service  caused  him  to  cry 
out  a  protest.     ''Dost  thou,  Lord,  wash  my  feet?"     Jesus 
simply  answered,  ''You  do  not  now  comprehend  what  I  am 
doing,  but  you  shall  as  soon  as  I  have  finished."    "Nothing 
can  alter  my  position,"  said  Peter.     "Thou  shalt  never 
wash  my  feet."     If  I  do  not  wash  your  feet — if  you  refuse  Tesus's  re- 
to  allow  this  manifestation  of  love  from  me,  but  put  your  peter 
pride  and  self-will  between  us — then  you  will  have  no  part       ' 
with  me  in  the  true  spirit  and  work  of  my  kingdom.     If 
that  is  what  you  mean,  said  the  impulsive  Apostle,  then  wash 
not  only  my  feet  but  my  hands  and  my  head.     Nay,  said  Jesus  ex- 
Jesus,  he  who  has  bathed  has  no  need  of  doing  more  act  (lo) 
than  wash  his  feet  after  a  walk  upon  the  dusty  road;  he  is 
otherwise  wholly  clean.     In  these  words  Jesus  advanced  to 
the  spiritual  import  of  what  he  was  doing.     Peter  had 
already  made  that  surrender  of  himself  which  we  call  con- 
version.    He  needed  not  to  be  reconverted.     In  God's  sight 
he  was  justified,  wholly  clean.     The  washing  of  the  feet 
symbolized  rather  the  putting  away  of  such  stains  as  the 
pride  which  made  necessary  the  loving  act  of  Jesus. 

Turning  to  the  disciples  he  said,  You  are  all,  in  this  sense,  Jesus 
clean  except  one.     He  alas!  has  not  bathed;  has  never  sur-  jud\s^°i) 
rendered  himself  to  me.     John  explains  that  Jesus  knew 
263 


His  Disciples  The  Messages  of  Jesus 

who  should  betray  him,  and  the  word  was  one  of  merciful 
warning.  The  disciples,  intent  upon  what  he  had  said  to 
them,  seem  not  to  have  grasped  the  meaning  of  what  was 
said  for  the  ears  of  Judas, 
don  \o^  h?s^'  ^^^^^  ^^  ^^^  finished  the  washing  he  put  on  his  garments, 
disciples  and  taking  his  place  again  at  the  table,  he  asked  them  if 
they  perceived  the  meaning  of  his  act.  You  call  me 
Teacher  and  Lord.  That  is  right;  I  am.  If,  then,  I,  your 
Lord  and  Teacher,  wash  your  feet,  you  ought  to  wash  each 
other's  feet.  I  do  not  mean  that  you  are  to  follow  my  ex- 
ample simply  in  the  external  form  of  it,  but  rather  that  you 
should  imitate  its  spirit  and  in  the  self-forgetting  ministry 
of  love  constantly  serve  each  other.  The  principle  is  so  vital 
(Jesus  used  it  four  times  in  the  course  of  his  teachings, 
Matt.  lo:  24;  Lk.  6:  40;  Jn.  13:  16;  15:  20)  that  I  cannot 
impress  the  fact  too  earnestly  upon  your  minds,  that  a 
servant  is  not  greater  than  his  lord  nor  a  messenger  greater 
than  he  who  sends  him.  If,  therefore,  I,  your  Lord  and 
Teacher,  have  shown  you  the  principle  of  self -abnegating 
service,  you  should  in  that  spirit  serve  one  another. 
Jesus  It  is  well  to  know  and  admire  such  principles,  but  the 

again  al-  .  r  r       ^ 

ludes  to  real  blessmg  comes  only  to  him  who  practises  them.  As  I 
(18, 19)  think  of  the  happiness  of  spirit  that  will  come  to  you 
through  such  humble,  loving  service  I  am  again  compelled 
to  make  one  exception.  I  know  the  character  of  those 
whom  I  chose  to  be  apostles,  and  with  one  of  them  my  teach- 
ing and  personal  intercourse  have  been  of  no  avail.  He  has 
264 


Accordifig  to  the  Gospel  of  John       His  Disciples 

steadily  pursued  his  selfish  purposes,  despite  my  spiritual 
concern  for  him.  His  obduracy  has  but  brought  to  light 
the  divine  purpose  (pictured  in  Ps.  40:9)  back  of  my 
choice,  namely,  that  one  who  has  been  received  into  daily 
intimate  intercourse  (eating  my  bread)  shall  turn  in  brutal 
malice  against  me.  From  henceforth  I  shall  lay  aside  all 
reserve  and  speak  freely  to  you  about  all  this,  before  the 
treachery  comes  to  fruition,  in  order  that  its  success  may  but 
strengthen  your  faith  that  I  am  the  Messiah. 

After  this  brief  digression  regarding  Judas,  Jesus  re- 
turned to  his  former  theme  (vs.  16)  and  solemnly  assured 
them  that  the  humble  Hving  service  in  which  they  were  to 
imitate  him  would  make  them  really  interpeters  of  their 
Master,  yea,  more,  of  God  himself,  to  men — for,  as  ''the 
servant  is  not  greater  than  his  master,  so  also  he  is  not  less  " 
(Godet). 

4.   The  Dismissal  of  Judas  (13:21-30) 

Jesus  had  given  the  false  disciple  clear  indications  of  Jesus  pro- 
his  understanding  of  the  treacherous  purpose  he  was  direct  dis- 
entertaining.     They  were  given  undoubtedly  in  order  to  jllda^s 
invite  Judas  to  depart,  as  Jesus  wished  to  be  alone  with 
his  disciples  for  a  while.     Judas  did  not  so  receive  them 
and  now  the  Master  proceeded  to  direct  dismissal.     The 
account  of  the  Fourth  Gospel  comes  here  into  parallelism 
with  Matthew  26:21-26;   Mark  14:  18-21;    Luke  22: 
265 


His  Disciples 


TJie  Messages  of  Jesus 


Relation  of 
Synoptic 
and  Johan- 
nine  ac- 
counts of 
banish- 
ment of 
Judas 


21-23.  The  anxious  attitude  of  the  disciples  shows 
how  little  they  really  understood  Judas.  They  certainly 
did  not  turn  at  once  to  him  as  the  only  man  capable  of 
such  a  dark  deed.  Judas  had  acted  his  part  well.  The 
account  in  Matthew  26:  21-26  presents  some  difficulty 
as  compared  with  John.  Instead  of  solving  it,  as  Wendt 
does,  by  a  "progress  from  a  primary  to  a  secondary 
Synoptic  tradition  and  thence  to  the  Johannine  version  " 
we  should  prefer  to  consider  the  account  of  the  Synop- 
tics as  condensed,  presenting  in  a  few  sentences  what  is 
given  in  John  in  true  historic  unfolding.  Sanday's 
words  are  worth  noting,  for  he  says  truly  that  in  this 
episode  of  the  dismissal  of  the  traitor:  "The  Fourth 
Gospel  is  the  fullest,  the  most  minute,  the  most  Hfe-hke, 
and  the  most  intelligible.  It  is  simply  impossible 
that  any  one  but  an  eye-witness  should  have  given  in 
this  way  the  varying  situations  of  that  critical  hour  when 
Jesus  determined  to  banish  from  the  upper  room  the  one 
spirit  that  was  not  in  harmony  with  him  and  his  aims." 
As  Godet  remarks,  John's  account  is  "luminous,  par- 
ticular, and  exact." 


J^sus^says        In  his  agony  of  heart  over  such  desperate  treachery  Jesus 

shall  betray  decided  to  let  the  disciples  know  what  was  distressing  him. 

anxious        He,  doubtless,  hoped  that  the  distinct  declaration  of  his 

^^         knowledge  to  them  all  would  induce  Judas  to  leave,  and  so 

he  said  solemnly  to  them,  ''One  of  you  shall  betray  me." 

266 


According  to  tJic  Gospel  of  John       His  Disciples 

Despite  the  hints  which  they  had  already  received  the  an- 
nouncement filled  them  with  bewilderment  and  anxiety. 
They  do  not  seem  to  have  suspected  Judas  and  so  they 
asked,  Judas  joining  them  in  the  question,  Lord,  is  it  I? 
Jesus  did  not  in  all  Hkelihood  further  embitter  Judas  by  such 
a  direct  answer  as  Matthew  gives  (26 :  25).  The  answer  in 
his  gospel  is  rather  a  summary  of  the  course  of  events  given 
us  here.  The  exposure  was  very  quiet  and,  at  first,  known 
only  to  John,  It  was  the  custom  to  recline  at  the  table  with 
the  left  arm  upon  a  pillow  and  the  feet  stretched  backward 
so  that  the  right  arm  was  free.  Reclining  next  to  Jesus  on 
his  right  was  the  disciple  who  describes  himself  as  "the  one 
whom  Jesus  loved,"  that  is,  John.  Peter  reclining  next  and 
thinking  that  the  beloved  disciple  was  sure  to  know,  nodded 
to  him  knowingly  and  whispered,  "Tell  us  who  it  is  of  whom 
he  is  speaking."  John,  however,  was  as  much  in  the  dark  Jesus  tells 
as  the  rest  of  them,  but,  leaning  back  upon  Jesus's  breast,  he  it  is 
asked  him  who  it  was.  Not  wishing  even  now  to  expose  ^'^ 
the  wretched,  deluded  disciple  to  the  whole  company,  and 
at  the  same  time  desiring  to  give  him  an  occasion  to  depart, 
Jesus  whispered  to  John,  "The  one  to  whom  I  shall  give 
this  morsel  after  I  have  dipped  it  in  the  sauce  is  the  man." 
Thereupon  he  handed  the  dipped  morsel  to  Judas  Iscariot, 
Simon's  son.  Judas  had  been  furtively  watching  all  that 
took  place — the  whispering  of  Peter  and  John  and  of  John 
and  Jesus — and  his  guilty  conscience  readily  construed  the 
act  of  Jesus  as  the  sign  of  his  exposure.  He  had  made  re- 
267 


His  Disciples  The  Messages  of  Jesus 

treat  for  himself  impossible.     There  was  nothing  now  but 

Judas  to  go  on  in  his  desperate  way.     He  determined  to  act  at 

room^    ^      once.     According  to  a  Jewish  manner  of  speaking,  then 

(27-30)         ^^^  there  Satan  took  control  of  him.     As  there  was  now  no 

need  of  further  consideration  or  delay,  Jesus  bade  him  do 

what  he  was  determined  to  do  as  quickly  as  possible.    Judas 

The  disci-     left  the  room.     No  one  of  the  disciples,  not  even  John, 

understand  Understood  this  command  of  Jesus — some  of  them,  indeed, 

hi^s^  depart-    thought  that,  since  Judas  was  the  treasurer  of  the  little 

(28,  29)        company,  he  had  been  told  to  make  some  purchases  for  the 

feast  or  to  make  some  provision  for  charity.     Darkness 

had  meanwhile,  with  the  suddenness  usual  in  the  East,  fallen 

upon  nature.     Its  coming,  under  the  circumstances,  was 

deeply  impressive. 

II 

THE   DISCOURSES    (13:31-14:31) 

I.  Introductory 

General  It  has  been  often  noted  how  involved  the  structure  of 

fhe?e  chap-  these  chapters  is.  Different  subjects  are  not  once  for 
all  and  completely  handled.  They  *' cross  and  entangle 
one  another."  So  much  is  this  so  that  it  has  been  said 
that  clearness  demands  that  the  material  be  gathered 
under  specified  heads  and  then  interpreted.  This 
method  would  have  the  advantage  of  securing  unity  and 
268 


ters 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John       His  Disciples 

compactness;  it  would,  however,  break  in  upon  the  char- 
acter of  the  address  and  in  some  measure  obscure  the 
very  naturalness  of  the  reminiscences  as  they  now  stand. 
For,  first  of  all,  it  must  be  remembered  that  we  have  here 
the  report  of  conversations  and  short  talks  which  occu- 
pied perhaps  two  hours  or  more.  More  than  once,  in  all 
probability,  Jesus  or  the  disciples  came  back  to  the  same 
subject.  It  would  appear  now  in  one  connection,  now 
in  another.  It  is  an  unlikely  conception  of  the  ongoing 
of  affairs  on  that  memorable  evening  to  suppose  that 
Jesus  delivered  a  long  formal  address  having  complete 
logical  arrangement.  Any  such  view  makes  it  easy  to 
look  for  "displacements, "  but  it  should  not  be  forgotten 
that  the  aim  of  these  chapters  is  to  give  reminiscences 
which  shall  make  clear  the  "glory"  of  Jesus.  We  are 
thus  brought  close  to  the  critical  question  regarding 
these  chapters:  How  far  do  they  bear  the  Johannine 
impress?  Do  they  contain  the  ipsissima  verba  of  the 
Master?  In  order  to  an  intelligent  answer  some  con-  important 
siderations  must  be  borne  in  mind:  (1)  The  style  of  tkmsre-^ 
the  four  chapters  is  uniform  with  that  of  the  remainder  of  fhe^'^hap- 
the  book.  We  have  here  no  more  variety  in  manner  of  *^^^ 
address  than  in  chapters  1  or  5.  In  so  far  a  Johannine 
impress  is  certainly  evident.  (2)  Questions  about  ip- 
sissima verba  are  more  or  less  associated  with  some  form 
of  a  mechanical  theory  of  inspiration.  If  after  fifty 
years  the  Holy  Spirit  gave  the  Apostle  a  definite  memory 
269 


His  Disciples  The  Messages  of  Jesus 

of  the  exact  words  of  Jesus,  then,  of  course,  the  ques- 
tions given  above  are  easily  answered,  except  as  we  are  at 
a  loss  to  know  why  the  Johannine  style  is  assumed,  for 
it  is  surely  present.     The  fundamental  question  then  is: 
Does  the  Holy  Spirit  work  after  this  fashion  ?     Does  he 
not  rather  work  in  accordance  with  psychological  laws  ? 
Does  he  not  use  given  temperaments,  peculiar  training, 
and  given  circumstances  in  order  to  secure  the  expres- 
sion of  truth  as  he  will  have  it  ?     And  is  truth  less  truth 
because  it  thus  comes  through  the  processes  of  human 
thought  ?     If  so,  might  it  not  be  just  to  conclude  that  the 
Holy  Spirit  is  of  little  service  in  all  human  utterances  ? 
Among  the  many  things  said  that  night  in  the  upper 
room  some  were  impressed  upon  the  mind  of  the  medi- 
Theydo       tative  Apostle.     These  chapters  show  that  he  did  not 
a  grea?*^*°  recall  a  great  variety  of  subjects ;  nor  does  he  remember  a 
subTect?^     great  deal  about  each  subject.     In  the  fourteenth  chapter 
nearly  all  that  he  does  remember  centres  about  the  ques- 
tions asked.     It  is  not  improbable  that  more  questions 
were  asked  and  that  a  process  of  selection  is  here  to  be 
supposed.     Soon  after  that  sad  night  came  the  resurrec- 
tion, and  light  fell  upon  all  the  words  Jesus  had  spoken. 
Through  meditation  and  experience  the  Holy  Spirit  led 
the  Apostle  into  the  innermost  meaning  of  the  teaching 
John  not  a    of  the  Master.     John  is  not  a  short-hand  reporter,  nor 
but  an  in-     does  the  Spirit  make  him  one ;  he  is  an  interpreter.    Does 
erpre  er       interpretation   always   require   ipsissima  verba  ?     The 

270 


According-  to  the  Gospel  of  Jo  Jin       His  Disciples 

historical  character  of  the  scene,  questions,  and  person- 
ages is  clear  enough.     The  whole  framework  of  the  dis- 
courses is  unquestionably  true  to  fact,  and  the  words 
themselves  are  true  to  truth.     Why  should  we  seek  to 
go  further  than  this?     We  have  not  sufficient  data,  in 
most  cases,  to  separate  the  Johannine  interpretation 
from  the  truth  in  its  original  form,  but  in  all  cases  we 
have  the  truth.     It  is  to  be  noted  that  all  the  truth  here  Their 
given  roots  itself  in  the  divine-human  personality  of  lerpreta^  ^° 
Jesus.     It  is  not  the  clothing  of  an  idea;  it  is  the  inter-  5iTs?oHca? 
pretation  of  an  unique,  historical  person.     Without  him  person 
it  were  simply  impossible;  it  is  beyond  human  inven- 
tion.    It  requires  Jesus,  the  Jesus  of  the  Synoptics  and 
of  the  earlier  scenes  of  this  Gospel,  in  order  to  its  ade- 
quate explanation  both  as  to  origin  and  character.     It 
is  only  in  form  and  arrangement,  not  in  substance,  that 
we  jBnd  evidences  of  Johannine  impress.     In  these  dis- 
courses we  have  "the  mind  of  Christ  seen  through  the 
medium  of  one  of  the  first  and  closest  of  his  compan- 
ions." 

Taking  this  whole  portion  of  the  Gospel  as  one,  we 
shall  consider  it  in  five  parts,  each  of  which  is  dominated 
by  a  special  purpose. 


271 


His  Disciples  The  Messages  of  Jestis 


2.   The  Announcement  of  His  Departure  (13:31-38) 

Jesus  real-        As  soon  as  Judas  had  gone  out,  the  realization  of  the 
endisnear^  nearness  of  the  end  came  upon  Jesus  anew,  and  in  words 
(31.  32)        which  have  in  them  a  note  of  triumph,  he  said  to  his  disci- 
ples:    Now  my  work  on  earth  is  virtually  finished.     In  all 
that  I  have  said  and  done,  as  the  Son  of  Man,  I  have  been 
acknowledged  and  accepted  by  the  Father.     That  is  my 
Having         glorification.     In  that  God  has  been  made  manifest  in  my 
God,  he  is     self-sacrificing  obedience  and  devotion,  he,  too,  has  been 
them  only  a  glorified.     He  now  will  glorify  me  in  taking  me  up  into 
little  while    complete  divine  fellowship  with  himself,  and  this  he  will  do 
straightway.     Little  children,  I  am  to  be  with  you  yet  only 
for  a  short  time.     You  will  seek  for  me  in  the  coming  days 
of  need  and  conflict.     Now,  I  can  say  to  you  only,  as  for  a 
very  different  reason  I  once  said  to  the  Jews,  "Whither  I 
His  com-      am  going,  ye  cannot  come."     You  must  for  a  time  continue 
disdpleV^^  my  ministry  on  earth  and  witness  to  my  name.     For  all  that 
Temaki"^*     time  of  discipleship  I  give  you  a  commandment  in  regard  to 
(34. 35)        loving  one  another  which  is  new  both  in  its  scope  and  its 
motive.     It  is  this :  that  you  should  love  one  another,  as  I 
have  loved  you.     If  you  love  one  another  in  this  way  all  men 
will  know  that  you  are  my  disciples. 
Peter's  Simon  Peter,  struck  with  the  word  of  Jesus  that  they 

Cs^-as'f^      could  not  go  whither  he  was  going,  asked,  "Lord,  whither 
art  thou  going?"     In  reply  Jesus  but  repeated  his  former 
declaration.     "Whither  I  am  going  you  cannot  follow  me 
272 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John       His  Disciples 

now;  later  you  shall."  Peter,  thinking  Jesus  spoke  as  he  did 
because  he  thought  him  wanting  in  courage,  asked,  "  Why 
can  I  not  follow  thee  now  ?  I  will  lay  down  my  life  for  thy 
sake."  "You  will  lay  down  your  life  for  my  sake?"  Alas! 
even  in  this,  said  Jesus,  you  cannot  follow  me  now,  for  be- 
fore the  morning  comes  you  will  have  denied  me  thrice. 

3.  Comfort  for  Disciples  Perplexed  and  Saddened  by 
the  Thought  of  His  Departure  (14:1-31) 

In  this  portion  the  words  of  Jesus  are  given  for  the  The 
most  part  in  answer  to  questions.     The  thought  ad-  this  chap- 
vances  by  way  of  a  difficulty  suggested  by  one  or  an-  *^^ 
other  of  the  disciples.     In  13:  33  Jesus  told  them  that 
he  had  still  only  a  little  while  with  them  and  they  can- 
not follow  him  "now."     This  brings  him  to  the  first 
promise. 

(i)    The  Promise  of  Reunion  (14:  i-ii) 

They  must  believe  him  and  out  of  their  faith  draw 
abiding  comfort  when  he  tells  them : 

(a)  That  in  the  Father's  house  are   "many  man- 
sions" (2). 
(6)  That  he  is  going  to  prepare  a  place  for  them  (2). 
(c)  That  he  will  come  and  take  them  to  himself  (3). 
{d)  That  they  know  the  way  (4). 

273 


His  Disciples  The  Messages  of  Jesus 

This   last   statement   brings    out  a  demurrer   from 
Thomas  (5),  to  which  Jesus  makes  reply  by  saying: 
(I)  I  am  the  way  (to  the  Father) . 
(a)  By  being  the  truth. 
(6)  By  being  the  hfe. 
(II)  I  am  the  only  way  to  the  Father,  hence, 

(a)  Knowing  him  is  knowing  the  Father. 
(6)  From  that  time  they  knew  and  had  seen 
the  Father. 

The  assertion  just  made  (6)  perplexes  Phihp,  who 
doubtless  is  thinking  of  some  vision  such  as  came  in  the 
time  of  the  Old  Testament,  and  he  immediately  asks  to 
be  shown  the  Father  (8).  Jesus  meets  this  by  repeating 
his  former  statement  and  then  he  makes  a  distinct  ad- 
vance upon  it  in  this  way : 

He  that  hath  seen  me  hath  seen  the  Father  (9),  since 
the  Father  is  in  him  and  he  is  in  the  Father  (10).  The 
proof  of  this  is  in : 

(a)  His  words. 
(6)  His  works. 

Upon  the  basis  of  this  assertion  Jesus  makes  appeal 
to  faith  in  view  of, — 

(a)  His  union  with  the  Father  evident  in  hfe  and 
word  (11  a). 

(6)  His  works  (11  6). 

274 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John       His  Disciples 

It  was  not  only  Peter's  heart  that  had  been  dismayed  and  The  atti- 
stricken  by  the  words  of  Jesus  about  his  departure  to  a  place  must  take 
whither  they  could  not  now  follow  him.     They  were  all  departure 
deeply  troubled.     To  dispel  their  sadness  and  perplexity  ^^'  ^^^ 
Jesus  said:    ''Let  not  your  heart  be  distracted  by  anxiety 
and  grief.     Put  your  faith  in  God,  whose  promises  never 
fail,  and  in  me,  through  whom  those  promises  are  brought  to 
sure  fulfilment.     In  the  home  where  my  Father  dwells  there 
are  many  abiding-places.     Where  God  is,  there  is  abun- 
dance of  room  for  those  who  love  him.     If  there  were  any  The  pur- 
doubt  about  this  I  would  have  told  you, — the  very  reason  gofng°(2c)^ 
of  my  going  is  to  make  ready  a  place  for  you — that  is,  by 
death,  a  resurrection,  and  the  Spirit  to  open  the  way  for  you 
to  heaven.     If  I  go  thus  to  prepare  a  place  for  you,  I  am  He  is  com- 

1  .  .        .  .  •    ^      ^1     ^   •    ^'        ^     iiig  to  them 

as  surely  commg  agam,  to  receive  you  mto  that  mtimate  again  (3, 4) 
spiritual  union  with  myself  which  has  its  ultimate  glorious 
issue  in  your  being  with  me  where  I  am.     And  you  know 
the  way  whither  I  am  going — the  way  of  self-sacrifice  and 
spiritual  achievement." 

"Nay,"  said  Thomas,  "all  we  know  is  that  thou  art  The  per- 
going;  we  do  not  know  whither.     How  then  can  we  know  Thomas  (5) 
the  way?"     In  his  reply  Jesus  substitutes  "the  Father"  for 
"the  Father's  house,"  making  the  goal  personal,  and  then 
proceeds  to  show  that  the  way  thereto  is  also  personal.     "I 
am  the  way,"  he  said  to  Thomas,  and  for  two  reasons,  be- 
cause I  am  the  truth  and  because  I  am  the  Hfe.     All  that  is  Jesus  the 
necessary  for  a  man  to  do  and  to  be  in  order  to  come  into  Father  (6) 
275 


His  Disciples  The  Messages  of  Jesus 

fellowship  with  God  is  revealed  by  me.     Nor  does  this 
truth  by  its  lofty  requirements  appear  as  a  discouraging 
ideal,  for  I  am  also  the  life,  the  power,  the  vital  force  which 
makes  the  actualization  of  this  spiritual  truth  possible. 
Hence  no  man  comes  to  God  except  through  me.     I  am  the 
exponent  of  the  nature  of  things  spiritually  considered. 
Unless  a  man  seeks  to  make  actual  in  his  life  that  which  in 
Seeing  him  all  its  Spiritual  fulness  I  am,  he  cannot  come  to  God.     And 
Faufe???)  ^  so,  if  you  had  come  to  know  me  in  the  various  revelations 
I  have  made  to  you,  you  would  have  known  the  Father. 
From  this  time  on  you,  after  all  that  I  have  so  plainly  told 
you,  will  know  him  and  will  have  seen  him,  whenever  you 
see  me. 
Philip's  Do  you  mean  to  say  that  we  have  seen  God?  was  the 

P|rpexity     ^.^j^^gj-jj^g  question  of  Philip.     Would  that  it  were  true! 
Would  that  we  might  have  some  theophany  such  as  came  to 
ISIoses,  or  Elijah!     Lord,  show  us  the  Father  in  some  such 
How  they     way  as  that  and  we  shall  then  be  contented.     In  sadness 
the  Father    Jesus  repHed,  "Have  I  been  with  you  for  so  long  a  time  and 
(9-i^ob)        yet  you  have  not  come  to  know  me,  Philip?"     The  highest, 
truest  conception  of  God  is  that  he  is  love  and  holiness 
rather  than  power  manifesting  itself  in  some  form  of  phys- 
ical glory.     A  holy  and  loving  life  reveals  his  essential  char- 
acter more  fully  than  is  possible  in  any  material  theophany. 
For  just  this  reason,  the  man  who,  like  you,  has  seen  me  in 
all  these  days  of  familiar  intercourse  has  had  a  clear  vision 
of  the  Father.     How  then  can  you  say,  "Show  us  the 
276 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John        His  Disciples 

Father?"     Do  you  not  believe  that  the  Father  and  I  are  in 
the  closest  communion,  so  that  I  find  all  my  impulses  and 
aims  in  him,  and  that  he  expresses  his  wisdom  and  power, 
as  far  as  they  concern  human  relations,  through  me?     The  The  char- 
words  which  I  speak  are  not  utterances  of  my  own  making,  words  and 
They  are  the  expression  of  divine,  eternal  principles,  the  fioc.^i) 
very  truth  of  God.     So,  too,  my  works  have  not  their  source 
in  me;  they,  too,  are  the  exhibition  through  me  of  God's 
loving,  beneficent  will. 

Turning  to  the  disciples  Jesus  said  in  substance:  You 
have  been  long  enough  with  me  to  believe  me  when  I  say 
that  I  am  in  the  Father  and  the  Father  in  me.  My  word 
for  you  needs  no  credentials.  If  it  does,  there  are  my 
works,  accept  them. 

The  mention  of  works  as  showing  his  intimate  relation  to 
the  Father,  brings  Jesus  back  to  his  original  purpose  of 
comforting  the  disciples,  from  which  he  had  been  diverted 
by  the  questions  of  Thomas  and  Philip. 

(2)    The  Promise  0}  Power   (14:  12-17) 

The  power  is  to  issue  from  faith  and  will  be  mani- 
fested as  follows : 

(a)  Greater  works  they  shall  do  because  of  his  de- 
parture. 

(6)  Their  prayers  in  his  name  shall  be  mighty  (13, 
14b)  that  the  Father  shall  be  glorified  (14a). 
277 


His  Disciples 


The  Messages  of  Jestis 


(c)  To  them  who  obey  his  commandments  another 
advocate  shall  come,  the  Spirit  of  truth  (15, 16), 

(1)  The  world  cannot  receive  this  advocate 

(17a). 

(2)  The  disciples  shall  have  him  with  them 

and  in  them  continually  (17b). 


The  greater 
works 
which  his 
disciples 
shall  do 
(i2b) 


The  reason 
why  they 
can  (12b) 


Their 
power  in 
prayer 
(13.  14) 


Another 
Paraclete 
will  come; 
his  work 
(1S-17) 


Let  me  tell  you  in  all  earnestness,  he  said,  that  whoso- 
ever believeth  in  me,  thereby  bringing  himself  into  vital 
relations  with  me,  shall  do  the  very  works  I  do — healing 
and  helping  men — also  works  of  a  higher  nature,  such  as 
the  winning  of  men  from  Judaism  and  paganism,  the  build- 
ing up  of  the  Church,  and  the  leavening  of  the  world  with 
Christian  truth.  These  "greater  works"  you  can  accom- 
plish because  I  go  to  the  Father,  so  that  at  his  right  hand 
I  shall  have  unlimited  power  with  which  to  work  in  you 
and  through  you.  Hence,  whatever  you  ask,  as  being  one 
with  me  in  spirit  and  purpose,  I  will  do  in  order  that  through 
my  oneness  with  the  Father  and  your  efficiency  through  me 
the  Father  may  be  ultimately  glorified.  If  you  ask  any- 
thing of  me,  as  being  one  with  me  in  spirit  and  purpose,  I 
will  grant  it.  More  than  this,  I  will  ask  the  Father  and 
he  will  give  you,  when  I  am  gone,  another  Paraclete^  to  be 
with  you  forever,  to  act  "as  a  support  in  moments  of  weak- 
ness, a  counsellor  in  the  difficulties  of  life,  or  a  consoler 
in  affliction." 

1  Both  Advocate  and  Comforter. 
278 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John       His  Disciples 

The  condition  of  his  coming,  however,  will  be  that  you 
shall  keep  my  commandments,  as  evidence  that  you  love  me. 
This  Paraclete  is  the  Spirit  of  truth.  Truth  is  the  reality 
for  which  he  exerts  all  his  activity,  and  that,  too,  the  truth 
as  it  is  in  me  which  he  will  make  clear  to  you.  The  unbe- 
lieving world  cannot  receive  him  for  it  has  no  sympathy 
with  him  and  consequently  does  not  see  him  in  any  of  his 
external  manifestations  nor  does  it  learn  to  know  him  by 
personal  experience.  On  the  contrary,  you  are  coming  to 
know  him  because  he  abideth  with  you,  making  you  the 
object  of  his  work,  and  later  he  shall  be  in  you  (at  Pente- 
cost). 

All  these  precious  promises  left  them  still  with  a  deep 
sense  of  what  their  bereavement  was  to  be,  and  so  Jesus  in 
a  third  promise  speaks  more  definitely  of  his  coming  to  them. 
The  nature  of  this  promise  appears  in  the  following: 

(3)    The  Promise  of  Personal  Manifestation    (14:  18-26) 

This  refers  directly  to  his  appearance  to  them  after 
his  resurrection.  The  resurrection,  however,  is  re- 
ceived as  the  point  of  contact  for  that  spiritual  com- 
munion which  it  made  possible.  In  regard  to  this  per- 
sonal manifestation : 

(1)  He  tells  them  of  the  time  of  its  realization  after 
a    little    while    (19a).     His    resurrection    life 
guarantees  their  eternal  life  (19b). 
279 


His  Disciples  The  Messages  of  Jesus 

(2)  He  tells  them  that  this  personal  manifestation  will 

throw  light  upon  the  mystical  union  of  Father, 
Son,  and  disciples  (20), 

(3)  He  tells  them  what  is  the  condition  on  their  part 

for  the  continuance  of  that  intercourse  begun 
at  the  resurrection  (21). 

Judas,  like  Phihp,  has  his  mind  fixed  upon  another 
form  of  manifestation.  He  is  thinking  of  a  Messiah 
who  shall  be  visible  to  friends  and  enemies  alike; 
hence  his  question:  "How  is  it  that  we  and  not  the 
world  are  to  see  thee?"  (22).  Jesus  repHes  in  sub- 
stance*. Love,  shown  in  obedience-  is  the  necessary 
condition  of  spiritual  revelation.  ^  here  this  love  is, 
fellowship  with  the  Divine  reveals  even  more  clearly 
both  the  Father  and  the  Son  (23,  24) .  All  this  shall  be 
made  clear  by  the  Spirit. 

He  is  com-  I  will  not  leave  you  as  orphans.  I  am  coming  to  you  in 
lolii°  ^™  all  the  reality  of  a  resurrection.  After  a  brief  time  the 
^^^'  ^^^        world  shall  see  me  no  more.     By  the  cruel  hand  of  hatred 

I  shall  be  taken  from  its  light.  But  you  shall  see  me  as  I 
The  reveal-  come  in  the  glory  of  the  resurrection.  Upon  my  resurrec- 
fromthis  tion  life  shall  be  based  the  certainty  of  your  eternal  hfe. 
resurrec-  ^\^^^^  j-qq^  \^  tha^-  (j^y^  when  you  shall  soon  see  me  again, 
(20, 2 1)        y^^  ^jjj  come  to  know  more  clearly  than  is  possible  to  you 

now  the  intimate  spiritual  union  which  exists  between  me 
280 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John       His  Disciples 

and  the  Father  and  between  me  and  you.  The  proof  of 
that  spiritual  union  on  your  part  will  be  your  love  for  me, 
showing  itself  in  constant  obedience  to  my  commands. 
Love  hves  so  entirely  for  another  that  it  finds  in  that  other 
the  determining  motive  for  its  whole  life.  He  who  loves 
me  in  this  way  is  ''in  me"  as  I  am  in  the  Father.  I,  too, 
will  love  him  and  in  my  love  make  myself  known  to  him 
through  inner  experiences  as  well  as  external  evidences,  so 
that  from  the  time  of  my  return  at  the  resurrection  on 
through  all  the  days  to  come,  each  and  all  of  you  shall  know 
that  you  have  not  been  left  as  orphans  in  the  world. 

Judas  (not  Iscariot)  thinking  of  the  hope  so  firmly  fixed  The  per- 
in  the  Jewish  mind  that  the  Messiah  would  appear  in  bodily  judas  (not 
glory  before  the  whole  world  in  order  to  judge  the  Gentiles  (22)"^^° 
and  to  restore  supremacy  to  the  Jews,  asked,  "What  has 
happened  leading  you  to  change  your  plan,  so  that  you  are 
to  manifest  yourself  to  us  alone  and  not  to  the  world?" 
Jesus  does  not  answer  Judas  directly,  but  by  repeating  and 
developing  the  statement  which  called  the  question  forth. 
If  a  man  loves  me  he  will  keep  my  commandments:  obe-  The  test  of 
dience  is  the  infallible  test  of  affection.     To  such  obedience  outcome  of^ 
not  only  does  the  Father  respond  with  affection,  but  we  °^^  ^^^^ 
both  will  come  to  him  who  displays  it  and  we  will  abide  with 
him.     To  love  me,  to  obey  my  commandments,  to  be  loved 
of  the  Father,  these  are  the  conditions  of  my  manifesting 
myself.     They  are  individual,   personal,   spiritual.     You 
can  thus  see  why  I  do  not  manifest  myself  to  the  world. 
281 


His  Disciples 


TJie  Messages  of  Jesus 


The  condi- 
tions of 
Christ's 
manifesta- 
tion (24) 


The  Spirit 
will  com- 
plete his 
teaching 
(25.  26) 


The  world  does  not  love  me  and  so  does  not  keep  my  com- 
mands. Virtually  it  disobeys  God  himself,  since  my  word 
which  you  hear  is  not  mine  but  the  word  of  him  who 
sent  me.  How,  therefore,  can  I  manifest  myself  to  the 
world? 

These  instructions  and  consolations  I  have  spoken  to  you 
while  yet  abiding  with  you.  They  are  all  that  I  can  give 
you  now,  but  the  Paraclete,  that  is,  the  Holy  Spirit  whom  the 
Father  will  send  to  represent  me  and  continue  my  work, 
will  teach  you  all  things  that  you  need  to  know  above  what 
I  have  said  and  will  bring  to  your  remembrance  all  that  I 
have  told  you  in  order  that  you  may  have  a  full  understand- 
ing and  appreciation  of  its  meaning.  In  these  words  Jesus 
began  to  say  farewell,  and  he  now  gives  them  his  bequest  of 
peace. 

(4)   His  Bequest  of  Peace   (14:  27-30) 

(a)  This  peace  is  his  peace. 

(6)  This  peace  is  given  not  after  the  manner  of 
the  world's  giving. 

The  thought  is  now  brought  back  to  the  opening 
words  of  the  chapter  (27c)  and  from  another  point  of 
view  reasons  are  given  for  these  sentences  of  exhortation, 
(o)  The  Father  is  greater. 

(6)  His  words  have  prepared  them  for  what  is  to 
come  (28). 

282 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John       His  Disciples 

(c)  That    the   world  may  know  that  he  loves 
the  Father  (30). 

And  now  in  the  words  of  men  as  they  take  leave  of  each  The  gift  of 
other,  I  say  to  you,  "Peace  be  with  you!"     But  the  peace  I  (27 f^^ 
leave  with  you  is  not  that  of  the  empty  salutations  of  every- 
day leave-taking;  it  is  my  peace — the  peace  of  soul  which 
amid  conflict  and  trouble  has  its  source  in  my  trust  in  God 
and  in  my  future.     That  is  my  peace  and  I  give  it  to  you, 
through  your  unshadowed  faith  in  me,  not  as  the  world 
gives,  thoughtlessly,  conventionally,  and  therefore  with  little 
meaning,  but  really,  efficaciously,  truly.     In  view  of  it  and  They  are  to 
of  all  I  have  said  to  you,  I  pray  you  not  to  let  your  hearts  be  sorrowful 
distracted  by  anxiety  and  grief,  neither  let  them  be  afraid. 
Rather  ought  you  to  be  glad,  for  you  heard  me  say  to  you 
that  I  am  going  away  and  then  coming  again  to  you.     If 
your  thoughts  had  not  been  concentrated  on  your  own  loss, 
but  rather  on  the  fulfilment  of  my  work  and  the  enlarge- 
ment of  my  power,  you  would  have  rejoiced  in  my  going  to 
the  Father  because  the  Father  enthroned  in  his  unchange- 
able glory  is  greater  than  I.     And  I  have  told  you  of  my  de-  His  words 
parture  and  what  is  involved  in  it  before  it  actually  takes  tSy  their ' 
place  in  order  that  when  it  does  take  place  your  faith  may  (29-31) 
remain  sure.     I  shall  not  talk  much  longer  with  you,  for 
Satan — the  prince  of  the  world  of  sin — is  coming  in  the  per- 
son of  the  traitor  Judas.     He  will  find  nothing  in  me  upon 
which  he  can  lay  claim,  but  in  order  that  the  world  may 
283 


His  Disciples  The  Messages  of  Jesus 

know  that  I  love  the  Father  and  do  as  he  has  commanded,  I 
surrender  my  life.    Arise,  let  us  go  hence  to  meet  the  issue.  ^ 


III 


THE    RELATION    OF    CHRIST'S    DISCIPLES     TO     HEM 
AND    OF    THE    WORLD    TO    THEM    (15:1-16:6) 

I.  Introductory 

I.  The  relation  of  Christ's  disciples  to  him  (15 :  1-17) 
A.  Set  forth,  in  general,  under  the  metaphor  of 
the  vine.     The  teachings  are  (1-4): 

*  Considerable  discussion  has  been  given  to  the  bearing  of  these  last  words 
upon  all  that  follows.  Did  they  all  leave  the  upper  room  and  then  in  some 
spot  outside  the  city  hear  the  words  recorded  in  chapters  15-17?  Or 
did  they  simply  arise  from  the  table  and  remain  standing  in  the  room  while 
Jesus  continued  speaking?  Or  have  the  words  been  misplaced  and  should 
they  come  after  chapters  15-17?  Either  supposition  in  no  way  affects  the 
interpretation.  It  is  not  unlikely  that  Jesus,  crowded  in  mind  with  last 
thoughts,  may  have  continued  speaking  after  they  arose  from  the  table.  It 
is  also  probable  that  John,  with  no  exact  remembrance  of  what  was  said 
before  or  after  the  rising  from  the  supper,  has  gathered  together  thoughts  that 
might  be  arranged  differently.  We  are  dealing  with  reminiscences.  The 
statement  in  18:  i,  "  Having  said  these  things,  Jesus  went  out  with  his  dis- 
ciples over  the  brook  Kedron,"  seems  to  make  the  upper  room  the  scene  of  all 
that  is  recorded  in  chapters  15-17.  There  is  no  general  agreement  as  to 
when  chapters  15-16  are  to  be  placed  if  taken  out  of  their  present  position. 
Some  critics  place  them  between  verses  20  and  21  of  chapter  13;  others, 
after  31a  of  the  same  chapter;  still  others,  between  verses  35  and  36  of  chap-' 
ter  13. 

284 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John       His  Disciples 

(1)  The  oneness  of  Christ  and  his  disci- 

ples— in  me. 

(2)  The  expected  issue  of  that  oneness 

— fruit. 

(3)  The  secret  of  fruit-bearing — abiding 

in  him. 
B.  Made  specific  by  direct  word  to  the  disci- 
ples, giving  (5-17) 

(1)  The  issue  of   "abiding"  or  of  being 

"taken  away"  (5,  6). 

(2)  The  interpretation  of  abiding  (7-10). 

(3)  The    blessings     accompanying     this 

abiding : 
(a)  Power  in  prayer  (7-16b). 
(6)  His  joy  (11). 
(c)  His  friendship  (14,  15). 
II.  The  relation  of  the  world  to  the  disciples  (15: 18- 
16:6).  It  hates  them  as  it  has  hated  him  (18). 
(1)  Reasons  for  this  hatred. 

(a)  The  very  opposition  of  nature 

(19). 
(6)  Ignorance  of  the  Father  (21). 
(2)  The  inexcusableness  of  this  hatred. 

(a)  The  word  he  had  spoken  left 

the  world  without  excuse. 
(6)  The  works  he  had  done  put 
them  in  the  same  position. 
285 


His  Disciples  The  Messages  of  Jesus 

(c)  They  (i.  e.,  the  world)  really 

hated  without  cause, 
(c?)  The  Holy  Spirit  and  the  disci- 
ples shall  bear  witness  to  the 
fact  that  this  hatred  of  the 
world    is    even   inexcusable 
(26,  27) . 
(3)  The  manifestation  of  this  hatred — the 
disciples  shall  be  put  out  of  the  syna- 
gogues and  even  killed  (16:  2). 
(a)  The  motive  behind  all  this  (2)  . 
(6)  The  real  reason  for  clear  action. 

The  consolation  which  with  all  this  Jesus  seeks  to 
give  his  disciples  appears  constantly  in  the  rich  promise 
made  to  them  and  in  such  direct  words  of  cheer  as  are 
found  in  15 :  14-16  and  16 : 1,  4. 

The  occasion  for  the  following  words  about  the  vine 
must  be  sought  for  in  the  situation.  Despite  all  that 
had  been  said  the  disciples  were  doubtless  deeply  anx- 
ious, and  it  is  to  meet  again  this  anxiety  that  Jesus  tells 
them  that  their  union  with  him  in  coming  days  will  be  as 
the  branches  with  the  vine — \A\2X  and  productive.  Va- 
rious suggestions  have  been  offered  as  to  why  Jesus  em- 
phasized this  particular  figure — the  cup  of  the  supper 
containing  the  fruit  of  the  vine,  a  vine  by  the  window, 
vineyards  upon  the  hill  slopes  outside  the  city,  the  golden 
286 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John       His  Disciples 

vine  of  the  Temple  Court.  It  is  most  likely  that  the  vine 
as  the  image  of  Israel,  a  figure  familiar  to  them  all,  was 
suggested  by  some  visible  reminder.  Weiss  contends 
that  John's  allegory  is  but  the  working  over  by  the  evan- 
gelist of  a  parable  of  the  vine  in  which  Jesus  originally 
was  speaking  of  the  Kingdom  of  God  which  he  was 
planting  in  Israel.  John  adapts  it  to  the  setting  forth  of 
personal  relationship  to  Christ. 

2.  The  Relation  of  ChrisVs  Disciples  to  Him 

(15:1-17) 

You  are  familiar  with  the  vine  as  a  symbol  of  Israel.  What  the 
The  Psalmist,  you  remember,  speaks  of  *'the  vine  which  IJmbol^of 
God  brought  out  of  Egypt"  (80:  8),  and  Jeremiah  laments  ^^^ 
that  the  "noble  vine"  of  the  Lord's  planting  had  turned 
"into  the  degenerate  plant  of  a  strange  vine"    (2:21). 
Israel  is  not  the  veritable  vine  of  God;  I  am — I,  and  the 
branches  that  live  in  me.     I  as  "the  life-principle  of  hu- 
manity, and  you  living  in  and  through  me,  constitute  the 
true  Israel  of  God."     My  Father  is  the  owner  and  cultiva- 
tor of  this  vine;  it  is  under  his  providential  care.     He  is  con- 
stantly seeking  for  fruit,  that  is,  for  the  qualities  and  graces 
of  a  spiritual  Hfe,  and  so  he  carries  on  in  a  twofold  way  the 
culture  of  the  vine.     Every  branch  (in  me)  that  does  not  The  culture 
bear  fruit,  showing  by  its  fruitlessness  that  it  has  but  an  (2,  3^  ^^^^ 
external  connection  and  no  vital  union,  he  takes  away. 
287 


His  Disciples  The  Messages  of  Jesus 

Every  branch  bearing  fruit  he  prunes  of  useless  shoots 
that  it  may  bring  forth  more  fruit.     Let  this  not  make 
you  anxious.     On  account  of  the  revelation  of  spiritual 
truth  which  I  have  made  to  you  and  which  you  have  ac- 
cepted, you  are  clean,  that  is,  in  a  fit  condition  to  bear  fruit; 
see  to  it  that  you  keep  in  vital  union  with  me.     Let  your 
whole  hope  and  aim  centre  in  me  and  then  I  will  abide  in 
Vital  union  you  as  Spiritual  life  and  energy.     As  a  branch  cannot  bear 
ind?spen-      fruit  of  itself,  without  any  connection  with  the  vine,  so  you 
sable  (4,  s)  ^qj  fg^jj  Qf  g^j^y  spiritual  achievement  unless  you  keep  in  fel- 
lowship with  me.     This  one  condition  is  absolutely  neces- 
sary, since  I  am  the  vine  and  you  are  the  branches.     Much 
fruit  can  result  only  from  an  abiding  union  of  branch  and 
The  fate       vine;  apart,  the  branch  has  no  power  at  all.     If  any  man 
less  branch  gives  up  fellowship  with  me  he  may  see  the  issue  of  his  life 
^^^  pictured  in  the  fate  of  the  severed  branch,  which,  having 

been   cast  out,   withers  away  and  with  other  withered 
branches  is  gathered  and  cast  upon  the  burning  heap  of 
vine-prunings.     Away  from  Christ,  all  interest  in  spiritual 
reahties  dies  out  and  the  soul  at  last  is  given  over  to  the 
The  out-      ruin  of  sin.     If,  on  the  contrary,  you  keep  in  fellowship 
abSingSn    with  me,  and  my  sayings,  being  continually  the  subject  of 
Sfs^^^       your  meditation,  become  your  guide  and  inspiration,  then 
you  shall  through  prayer  obtain  an  enlarging  fruitfulness, 
for  whatsoever  desires  bom  of  such  inspiration  you  bring  to 
the  Father,  shall  be  granted.     In  this  great  fruitfulness  is 
my  Father  pre-eminently  glorified  as  well  as  in  the  fact  that 
288 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John       His  Disciples 

you  are  thus  becoming  ever  more  completely  my  disciples. 
The  true  bond  of  the  moral  world  is  love,  and  the  condition  The  true 
of  maintaining  it  is  obedience  to  its  righteous  demands.  nioial° 
With  such  a  love  as  the  Father  has  shown  toward  me,  I  have  X^-i^) 
loved  you.     Maintain  the  sacred  bond  between  us  by  keep- 
ing my  commandments,  just  as  I  have  maintained  it  between 
the  Father  and  myself  by  keeping  his  commandments. 

The  deep  abiding  joy  of  my  life  has  come  from  the  con- 
sciousness of  my  Father's  love  and  from  the  keeping  of  his 
commandments.     I  have  spoken  thus  to  you  about  abiding 
in  me  and  in  my  love  in  order  that  you  might  have  a  realiza- 
tion of  the  joy  that  is  continually  mine,  and  that  your  reali- 
zation might  be  made  ultimately  complete.     My  one  all-  The  one 
embracing  commandment  to  you  is  to  love  one  another  as  I  mandment 
have  loved  you.     And  if  you  ask  what  is  the  possible  extent  extent^ 
of  such  love,  then  I  say  that  there  is  no  more  that  love  ^^^'  ^^^ 
can  do  than  to  lay  down  life  for  friends.     To  die  as  a 
sacrifice  for  those  we  love  is  full  proof  of  affection.     I  am 
about  to  give  you  this  highest  proof  of  my  friendship;  your 
friendship  for  me  will  be  evidenced  in  your  willingness  to  do 
whatever  I  command  you.     I  shall  speak  to  you  no  longer 
as  servants,  because  a  servant  executes  commands  with  little 
knowledge  of  their  reason  and  purpose;  he  is  simply  an  in- 
strument for  their  accomplishment.     Fow,  on  the  contrary,  They  are 
are  my  friends,  because  I  have  made  known  to  you  the  i/thJy^do^ 
mind  and  will  of  the  Father.     What  is  more,  you  did  not  Jji^anSr" 
choose  me,  but  I  out  of  love  for  you  chose  you  to  be  my  (^4.  is) 
289 


His  Disciples  The  Messages  of  Jesus 

He  has         apostles,  and  I  have  appointed  you  to  go  forth  into  the  world 
them  and     as  my  messengers  and  in  independent  spiritual  activity  bear 
be^^^  ^       that  fruit  which  shall  remain.     I  have  also  put  you  in  a  posi- 
foMh?ser-    ^^^^  ^°  obtain  from  the  Father  whatsoever  you  may  ask  for 
(is  °^  ^°^^  ^^  furtherance  of  my  work  in  the  world.     In  spirit,  aim, 
and  result  the  work  is  all  of  it  the  expression  of  love.     All 
my  instructions,  therefore,  are  summed  up  in  the  com- 
mandment which  I  give  you,  to  love  one  another. 


3.   The  Relation  oj  the  World  to  the  Disciples 
(15:18-16:6) 

The      ^  You  will  find,  however,  outside  of  the  circle  in  which  this 

will  hate       Unifying  and  ennobling  love  prevails,  a  bitterly  hostile  unity, 
(18^19)        the  unbelieving  world — dominated  by  a  hatred  of  all  that  is 
spiritual.     Naturally  it  will  hate  you,  but  for  your  comfort 
and  strength  let  me  remind  you  that  this  ''world"  hated  me, 
as  you  know,  before  it  hated  you.     If  you  were  in  sympathy 
with  its  spirit  and  aims  it  would  love  you,  in  the  sense  of  lov- 
ing in  you  what  is  to  its  own  advantage,  but  because  you  are 
not,  but  have  been  chosen  out  of  it  to  a  life  for  God,  it  hates 
It  will  treat  you.     Be  mindful  of  what  I  recently  said  to  you,  that  a  ser- 
has  treated  vant  is  not  greater  than  his  lord.     If  they  of  the  world  have 
im  (20)      persecuted  me,  your  Teacher  and  Lord,  they  will  also  per- 
secute you.     If  some,   turning  their  backs  courageously 
upon  the  world,  have  obeyed  my  word,  there  will  be  some 
who  will  obey  your  word.     In  as  far  as  you  are  identified 
290 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John       His  Disciples 

with  me,  your  experience  will  be  identical  with  mine.  Be  not  The  reason 
dismayed,  it  is  for  my  sake,  and  the  underlying  reason  of  it  world's 
all  is  the  world's  ignorance  of  the  true  character  and  pur-  (a^^J^ala) 
poses  of  him  who  sent  me.     If  I  had  not  come  as  the  true 
Messiah  and  told  them  what  God's  holy  will  for  men  is, 
they  would  not  have  had  upon  them  the  sin  which  comes 
from  refusing  light.     Now  they  are  inexcusable.     Their 
hatred  of  me  is  virtually  a  hatred  of  God.     Likewise  they 
would  have  been  without  guilt  if  I  had  not  wrought  among 
them  the  works  of  the  true  Messiah,  such  works  as  no  other 
has  done.     Their  guilt  lies  in  the  fact  that  they  have  seen  in  The  guilt 
those  works  the  majesty  and  mercy  of  God  and  yet  they  SiSeness 
have  hated  both  me  and  my  Father.     This,  however,  is  not  worid's 
to  be  wondered  at,  but  has  happened  in  accord  with  the  ^2^2^-2  ) 
word  in  their  law,  ''They  hated  me  without  a  cause." 
And  when,  after  my  departure,  the  Spirit  comes  whom  I 
will  send  to  you  from  the  Father — the  Spirit  whose  whole 
business  is  to  interpret  and  enforce  the  truth  and  who  goes 
forth  from  the  Father  upon  this  mission — he,  as  opposed  to 
this  Christ-hating  world,  will  bear  witness  concerning  me, 
and  you,  too,  will  bear  witness  because  you  have  been  with    " 
me  from  the  beginning  of  my  ^Messianic  activity.     Thus 
shall  the  hatred  of  the  world  ever  be  inexcusable.     I  have 
given  you  all  these  warnings  and  consolations  in  order  that 
when  persecution  comes  you  may  not  be  caused  to  stumble.  How  this 
Those  hating  you  will  expel  you  from  the  synagogue.  uTanifest^ 
Nay,  more,  there  is  an  hour  coming  wherein  whosoever  f/e-^i-s) 
291 


His  Disciples  The  Messages  of  Jesus 

puts  you  to  death  will  think  that  he  is  offering  a  service  unto 
God.     And  they  will  do  these  things  because  they  have  not, 
in  all  the  opportunities  given  them,  come  to  know  either 
His  warn-     the  Father  or  me.     But,  not  to  dwell  on  details,  I  have  told 
fofdfy  ^fa?th  you  this  much  in  order  that  when  the  time  comes  you  may 
^^~^^  remember  that  I  told  you  and  thus  have  your  faith  strength- 

ened. At  the  beginning  I  did  not  speak  to  you  of  my  de- 
parture, of  the  coming  of  the  Paraclete,  of  the  principle 
from  which  the  hatred  of  the  world  would  spring  and  of 
your  way  to  overcome  it,  because  I  was  yet  with  you.  But 
now  I  am  going  away  to  him  who  sent  me  and  no  one  of  you 
asks  me  whither  I  am  going.  No  one  needs  to  ask  it,  for  you 
know,  but  because  of  all  I  have  said  to  you  your  hearts  are 
filled  with  grief. 


IV 

THE   MISSION    OF    THE    SPIRIT    (16:7-15) 

I.  To  the  world. 

(1)  To  convict  it  of  sin  because  it  does  not  be- 

lieve in  Christ  (9). 

(2)  To  convict  it  of  righteousness  because  Christ 
is  gone  to  the  Father  (10). 

(3)  To  convict   it    of    judgment    because  the 
prince  of  this  world  is  judged  (11). 

292 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  Jo] in       His  Disciples 

II.  To  the  disciples. 

(1/     To  guide  into  all  the  truth  (13).     Since : 

(a)  He  shall  not  speak  of  himself  but 
(6)  He  shall  speak  only  what  he  shall 

hear  and 
(c)  He  shall  declare  things  that  are  to 
come. 
(2)  To  glorify  Christ. 
Since : 

He  shall  take  of  that  which  is  Christ's 
and  declare  it  unto  them.  In  so 
doing  he  shall  take  of  that  treasure 
of  truth  which  the  Father  possesses 
— all  of  which  belongs  to  Christ. 

Strange  as  it  may  seem  to  you,  I  am  speaking  the  truth  The  advan- 
to  you  when  I  tell  you  that  it  is  really  to  your  advantage  them  of  his 
and  not  to  your  loss  that  I  go  away,  for,  if  I  do  not,  the  Par-  ^^p*"**"" 
aclete  ^  will  not  come  to  you.  If  I  go,  I  will  send  him  to  you. 
Thereby,  in  exchange  for  my  limited,  bodily  presence,  you 
will  gain  the  blessing  of  my  spiritual  presence — always  and 
everywhere  with  you.     Power  will  be  given  you  to  use  my 
word  and  I  shall  become  the  divine  life-centre  of  all  who 
will  believe.     Both  to  you  and  to  the  world  the  Spirit  will  The  mis- 
be  a  mighty,  influential  power.     Let  me  tell  you  what  he  Spiri°  to  the 
will  do.     When  he  is  come  he  will  press  home  upon  the  XS-w) 

1  The  Spirit,  who  is  both  comforter  and  advocate. 


His  Disciples  The  Messages  of  Jesus 

thoughts  of  men  the  great  spiritual  facts  of  sin,  righteous- 
ness, and  judgment.     To  the  mind  and  conscience  of  the 
world  he  will  make  clear  what  the  truth  is  regarding  them 
and  how  wrong  have  been  man's  general  conceptions  and 
judgments;  in  a  word,  he  will  convict  the  world  of  sin,  of 
righteousness,  and  of  judgment.     In  each  case  he  will  give 
Concerning  the  fundamental  reason  of  the  conviction.     Concerning  sin, 
^'"  ^^^         because  men  do  not  believe  in  me,  that  is,  because  they  re- 
fuse to  accept  the  spiritual  and  in  unbelief  turn  away  from 
that  which  alone  can  make  them  God-like, — self -surrender 
to  the  divine  will.     The  sin  conditioning  all  others  is  rejec- 
Concerning  tion  of  the  Spiritual.     Concerning  righteousness,  because  I 
nS^Uof     go  to  the  Father  and  you  behold  me  no  more.     This  "going 
to  the  Father"  not  only  vindicates  the  righteousness  of 
Jesus  as  against  the  judgment  of  his  crucifiers,  but  it  brings 
to  a  close  that  life  in  which  righteousness  both  in  relation 
to  God  and  man  has  been  perfectly  exhibited.     Henceforth 
there  can  be  no  other  standard  of  righteousness  than  this, 
completed  on  earth  and  acknowledged  in  heaven.     To  it 
the  Spirit  will  make  appeal  and  thereby  make  clear  to  the 
world  the  utter  inadequacy,  if  not  the  perversion,  of  all  of 
Concerning  its  conceptions  of  rightcousncss.     Concerning  judgment, 
judgment     ^g^^a^^gg  ^j^g  princc  of  this  world  has  been  judged.     My 
death  will  seem  like  a  victory  for  all  the  forces  of  evil,  but 
the  resurrection  and  ascension  will  show  that  it  was  the  de- 
feat of  the  prince  of  this  world.     Thereby  his  judgment, 
begun  in  the  temptation,  will  be  completed  and  made  final 
294 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John       His  Disciples 

and  the  Holy  Spirit  will  ever  disclose  to  men  "the  greatness 
of  the  visible  drama  consummated  on  the  cross." 

Such  will  be  the  mission  of  the  Paraclete  to  the  world,  The  Spirit': 
but  his  work  will  not  be  confined  to  this.     He  shall  do  a  the  disci- 
great  work  for  you,  my  disciples.     Thus  far  I  have  given  fi2-i5) 
you  many  teachings,  but  after  all  much  remains  unsaid. 
I  have  yet  many  things  to  teach  you  which,  since  you 
are  not  able  to  hear  them  now,  must  be  reserved  for  the 
Spirit  whose  whole  work  is  to  reveal  the  truth.     When  he 
comes,  he  will  guide  you  into  all  the  truth  necessary  to  sal- 
vation— the  truth  concerning  my  person,  word,  and  work. 
Just  as  I  have  given  you  only  what  the  Father  has  taught 
me,  so  he  will  not  speak  as  an  independent  authority,  but  he  The  origin 
will  utter  only  what  comes  to  him  as  a  revelation  from  the  of  the^^*^ 
Father  or  me  and  he  will  declare  to  you  ''the  things  that  are  eiatVon  ^^^ 
coming,"  that  is,  "that  future  which  even  now  is  prepared  ^^•s-is) 
and  in  the  very  process  of  fulfilment."     He  will  glorify  me 
in  that  he  will  take  of  mine  and  declare  it  to  you.     It  will 
ever  be  of  me  as  the  exponent  of  spiritual  truth,  as  the  Sav- 
iour of  the  world,  as  the  Life  of  men,  that  he  will  speak,  v 
Indeed,  he  will  draw  from  the  unlimited  treasure  of  spirit- 
ual truth  which  is  in  God  himself,  since  all  that  is  mine  and 
he  will  use  it  because  it  is  mine.     I  have  said  that  he,  the 
Spirit  of  truth,  in  being  your  guide  into  all  the  truth,  takes 
of  mine  and  will  declare  it  unto  you.     (In  all  this  we  have 
the  full  guarantee  of  the  inspiration  of  the  Apostles.) 


295 


His  Disciples  The  Messages  of  Jesus 


THE   JOY    OF    THE    DISCIPLES    ON    THE    RESURRECTION 
MORNING    (16:16-24) 

I.  It  shall  come  after  a  brief  interval  of  deepest 
sorrow  (20). 

(a)  Like  a  mother's  joy  over  her  new-born 

child. 
(6)  Because  they  shall  see  him  again  (16, 
22b). 
II.  It  shall  be  theirs  forever. 

III.  It  shall  be  made  complete,  since  the  Father 
would  give  them  whatever  they  asked  for  their 
mission. 

Verse  16  is  to  be  connected  with  verses  5  and  6.  The 
section  gives  a  new  reason  for  comfort  which  is  con- 
nected in  thought  with  the  last  reason,  the  coming  of  the 
Spirit,  only  in  so  far  as  the  coming  of  Jesus  in  resurrec- 
tion is  the  beginning  of  that  higher  manifestation  which 
is  carried  on  by  the  Spirit.  It  is  not  necessary  to  dis- 
miss the  thought  of  the  resurrection  as  is  done  by  giving 
to  the  second  event  of  verse  16  a  purely  spiritual  force; 
nor,  on  the  other  hand,  is  it  necessary  to  confine  the  prom- 
ise of  the  whole  passage  to  this  one  event.  As  Bernhard 
296 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John       His  Disciples 

says,  "All  turns  on  the  resurrection;  and  without  the 
experiences  of  that  time  there  would  have  been  no  be- 
holding Christ  in  the  Spirit." 

In  a  short  time  I  shall  be  gone  from  your  sight.     You  The  prom- 
shall  not  behold  me  as  you  do  now,  in  the  familiar  inter-  rSurrec^ 
course  of  daily  fellowship.     Then  again  after  a  short  time  IhTperSex- 
you  shall  see  me.     Jesus  was  referring  to  his  resurrection,  Jfj^^/pies^ 
which,  from  its  entire  method  of  manifestation,  would  be  the  (16-18) 
prelude  of  that  spiritual  revelation  of  himself  to  be  given 
through  the  Spirit.     The  disciples,  however,  were  puzzled 
by  this  expression,  ''a  little  time."     They  knew  that  he 
was  soon  to  be  taken  from  them,  but  what  could  he  mean 
that  in  "a  little  time"  he  would  come  again?     Especially 
when  he  had  said  that  he  was  going  home  to  the  Father. 
It  was  simply  impossible  for  them  to  understand  this 
strange  succession  of  presence  and  absence  and  presence 
again.     Jesus  noting  their  embarrassment  and  their  desire  How  Jesus 
to  question  him  said  to  them:     Are  you  inquiring  among  matter"to 
yourselves  about  the  meaning  of  my  statement  that  "in  afj^^o) 
little  while  you  shall  not  behold  me,  and  again  in  a  Uttle 
while  you  shall  see  me"?     Instead  of  answering  this  by 
speaking  of  the  crucifixion  and  the  resurrection  he  tells 
them  of  the  opposite  feeling  with  which   as   the  result 
of  each  great  event  their  hearts  would  be  stirred.     He 
began  with  the  issue  of  that  first  "little -while"  when  the 
cross  seemed  to  have  ended  all  their  fond  hopes.     Verily, 
297 


His  Disciples  The  Messages  of  Jesus 

verily,  I  say  to  you,  that  you  will  soon,  in  the  deepest  grief, 
weep  and  lament.     While  you  are  in  the  midst  of  your 
sorrow  the  world  with  all  its  elements — the  unthinking  and 
unbelieving  people,  the  proud  and  self-sufficient  Pharisees, 
and  the  haughty  and  self-seeking  Sadducees — will  rejoice. 
The  joy        They  will  all  think  that  they  have  triumphed  in  their  con- 
resurrec-      test  with  me.     But  there  is  another  "little  while"  and  at  the 
br^g^'         close  of  that  your  grief  shall  be  turned  into  joy.     Your  ex- 
(20-22)        perience  shall  be  much  hke  that  of  a  woman  whose  hour  of 
travail  is  come.     At  first  she  can  think  of  nothing  but  the 
anguish  of  her  travail,  but  when  her  child  is  born  the  pain 
and  suffering  are  all  forgotten  in  the  joy  that  a  man  is  born 
into  the  world.     This  is  now  for  you  the  time  when  the 
results  are  hidden  and  the  pain  is  felt,  but  I  shall  see  you 
again  and  your  hearts  shall  rejoice,  and  your  joy,  which 
shall  come  from  knowing  that  I  have  forever  conquered 
death  and  have,  therefore,  entered  upon  an  indissoluble 
fellowship  with  you,  cannot  be  taken  from  you.     In  that 
day  of  your  joy, — in  that  long  and  blessed  dispensation  be- 
ginning with  the  resurrection, — the  mysteries  which  now 
perplex  you  will  be  illuminated. 
Then  they         You  will  not  then  ask  me  questions,  such  as  have  now 
Father  in      troubled  you.     "How  can  we  know  the  way?"     "Whither 
t^^)        goest  thou?"     "What  is  this  'little  while'?"     You  will  go 
directly  to  the  Father  and  I  assure  you  that  whatsoever  you 
ask  he,  instead  of  me,  will  give  it  to  you  as  I  have,  up  to  this 
time,  given  you  what  you  needed.     Up  to  this  time  you 
298 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John       His  Disciples 

have  asked  nothing  "in  my  name,"  because  I  have  been 
with  you  and  have  obtained  for  you  all  you  required.  Pray 
now  habitually  in  my  name  and  answers  shall  come  making 
your  joy  complete. 

VI 

A   SUMMARY   AND   A   CONCLUSION    (16:25-33) 

The  Summary: 

I.  Christ's  present  and  future  relations  to  his  dis- 
ciples (25-27). 
II.  The  character  of  his  mission  (28). 

The  attitude  of  the  disciples  in  view  of  these 
declarations  (29,  30). 
The  Conclusion: 

I.  The  pathetic  prophecy  of  their  desertion  of  him. 
II.  An    assurance    of    peace,   and  tribulation;  and 
through  him  of  victory. 

All  along,  said  Jesus,  I  have  spoken  to  you  in  figurative  The  time 

,  Vr.,  ...,,,  i-i-  1    was  coming 

language.     This  was  inevitable  because  his  history  on  earth  when  he 
was  not  yet  complete,  his  human  limitations  were  yet  upon  speak 
him,  and  above  all  his  hearers  were  not  yet  able  to  under-  them^('2s) 
stand  fully  a  plain  and  purely  spiritual  revelation.     The 
time  was  soon  to  be,  he  told  them,  when  he  would  no  longer 
speak  in  figures  but,  without  reserve  and  in  the  fulness  of 
spiritual  illumination,  would  tell  them  of  the  Father.     In 
299 


His  Disciples  The  Messages  of  Jesus 

that  day,  said  he,  you  will  pray  to  the  Father  in  my  name, 
They  with  a  Ml  understanding  of  its  meaning.     You  will  have 

fl^ee  ^acces7  such  free  and  confident  access  to  him  that  the  answers  to 
Father,  and  Y^ur  prayers  will  come  not  because  of  my  intercession  in 
he  will         yQ^j.  behalf  (I  do  not  need  to  speak  of  that  in  this  connec- 

answer  •'  ^  ^ 

their  pray-    tion),  but  because  of  the  Father's  love  for  you,  a  love  called 

ers (2627) 

forth  and  strengthened  by  your  love  for  me  and  your  faith 
A  summary  that  I  Came  forth  from  him.     In  one  brief  sentence  Jesus 
of^hiswork  ^^^  summarizes  his  whole  historic  work:     I  came  forth 
from  the  Father  and  am  come  into  the  world;  again  I 
leave  the  world  and  go  to  the  Father.     Here  are  set  forth 
self-abnegation,  incarnation,  death  and  ascension.     "The 
Apostles  understand  why  he  goes  away:  because  he  came; 
and  whither  he  goes:  to  God,  because  it  was  from  God  that 
he  came."     The  verse  has  its  parallel  in  Paul's  statement, 
"being  in  the  form  of  God  he  counted  it  not  a  prize  to  be  on 
an  equality  with  God,  but  emptied  himself  by  taking  the 
form  of  a  servant,  being  made  in  the  likeness  of  men;  and 
being  found  in  fashion  as  a  man,  he  humbled  himself,  be- 
coming obedient  even  unto  death,  yea,  the  death  of  the  cross. 
Wherefore  also  God  highly  exalted  him"   (Phil.  2:6-9). 
The  disci-         Joyfully  surprised  at  Jesus's  simple  statement  of  the  whole 
feefthirife^  range  of  his  being  and  mission  the  disciples  exclaimed, 
pfainPy°^^°   "Behold,  now  he  is  speaking  plainly,  without  figure,  we 
(29.30)        (Jo  not  need  to  wait  for  the  future"  (see  25).     He  had  so 
fully  anticipated  their  thoughts  and  desires  in  the  answers 
which  he  made  to  them  that  they  felt  that  he  knew  their 
300 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  Jo/m       His  Disciples 

hearts  altogether  and  also  when  and  how  to  give  them  all 

needful  illumination,  and  so  they  said,  "Now  we  know  that 

thou  knowest  all  things  and  that  thou  hast  no  need  that  any 

one  should  put  to  thee  these  inquiries.     In  this  fact  we  find 

a  reason  for  believing  that  thy  whole  ministry  and  message 

is  a  revelation  to  us  of  God — a  coming  forth  to  us  from  him." 

This  enthusiastic  confession  of  faith  expressed  probably 

more  than  the  disciples  meant.     It  seemed  genuine,  and  in  A  genuine 

the  attitude  of  mind  which  it  revealed  was  genuine.     It  but  needing 

needed,  however,  all  the  experiences  of  the  resurrection  and  (31) 

Pentecost  to  make  it  firm  and  adequate :  Jesus  meets  it  now 

with  a  thankful  recognition   and  a  sobering  prophecy. 

"You  now  believe.     Deeply  am  I  thankful  for  that,  but  a  Jesus's 

terrible  trial  awaits  your  faith.     The  hour  is  near  at  hand,  the?riai^  ° 

indeed,  is  come,  when  you  will  be  scattered  each  to  his  own  them^(^2)*^ 

house  and  I  shall  be  left  alone.     Alone,  did  I  say?     Nay, 

not  alone,  for  the  Father  is  always  with  me." 

And  now  my  words  are  finished.     I  have  spoken  them  They  are  to 

kc6D  cour- 

that,  in  all  the  life  which  you  live  in  communion  with  me,  age  in  the 
you  may  have  peace — a  constant  stay  for  your  hearts  amid  come  upon 
the  tribulation  of  the  world.     In  the  world  you  will  have  ^^^^  ^^^^ 
tribulation  through  the  antagonism  of  men  and  trials  of 
suffering,  but  be  of  good  courage.     I  have  overcome  the 
world.     Its  temptations  and  hostilities  have  not  once  gained 
the  upper  hand  over  me.     In  my  strength  you,  too,  shall 
overcome  and  in  all  the  struggle  have  my  peace.     Be  of 
good  courage. 

301 


His  Disciples  The  Messages  of  Jesus 

VII 

THE   PRAYER    OF    JESUS    (17) 

I.  Introductory 

It  was  Luther's  judgment  that  nowhere  else  In  Scrip- 
ture, nor,  indeed,  in  the  Hterature  of  any  people,  is 
there  anything  that  can  be  compared  with  this  prayer  in 
simplicity,  depth,  grandeur,  and  devoutness.  The  more 
fully  we  understand  the  life  of  Jesus  and  his  spirit,  the 
more  shall  we  comprehend  the  far-reaching  petitions 
which  he  here  offers.  It  seems  well-nigh  out  of  place 
to  call  attention  to  critical  objections  made  against  the 
transmission  of  the  prayer  to  us  as,  for  example,  the  use 
of  "  Jesus  Christ"  in  verse  3  and  the  full  doctrine  of  pre- 
existence  (5,  22,  24).  The  estimate  of  Weiss  is  perhaps 
not  exaggerated  when  he  says  that  "  Johannine  phrase- 
ology and  views  are  more  deeply  imprinted  upon  this 
prayer  than  upon  any  other  passage,"  or  of  Sanday 
that  "there  is  probably  a  prophetic  element  in  it  which  is 
derived  from  the  consciousness  of  the  Apostle."  Not- 
withstanding this,  it  embodies  such  vivid  reminiscences  of 
what  Jesus  said  that  only  radical  criticism  can  suppose 
it  to  be  a  free  composition  by  the  evangelist.  Wendt 
assigns  it  all  to  the  original  source  of  the  Gospel.  Again 
let  the  statement  have  emphasis  that  it  is  true  to  truth. 
302 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John       His  Disciples 

The  prayer  falls  into  three  parts : 
I.  For  himself — glorify  me  (1-5). 

(a)  The  grounds  of  the  petition. 

(1)  His  hour  had  come. 

(2)  His  work  was  finished. 

(3)  He  had  received  power  over  all 

flesh  to  give  eternal  Ufe  (2); 
what  eternal  life  is  (3). 
(h)  The  measure  of  the  petition — with  the 

glory  which  I  had  with  thee  (5) . 
(c)  The  purpose  of  the  petition — in  order 
that  the  Son  may  glorify  the  Father  (1). 
II.  For  his  immediate  disciples  (6-20) — Keep  them 
in  thy  name  (11). 
(a)  The  grounds  of  this  petition. 

(1)  They  know  that  all  things  which 
thou  hast  given  me  are  from  thee 
(7). 

(2)  They  have  received    the    words 

which  I  have  given  them  (8). 

(3)  They   have    believed    that    thou 

hast  sent  me  (8). 
{h)  The  twofold  content  of  this  petition. 

(1)  Sanctify  them  by  the  truth  (17). 

(2)  Keep  them  from  the  evil  one  (15). 
III.  For    those    who    through    the    disciples'    word 

should  beheve  on  him  (21-24). 


His  Disciples  The  Messages  of  Jesus 

(a)  That  they  may  be  one  as  we  are  (21). 
The  twofold  purpose  of  this : 

(1)  That  the  world  may  beheve  that 

thou  hast  sent  me  (23). 

(2)  That   the    world   may    know    that 

thou  hast  loved  them  (23). 
(&)  That  they  may  be  with  thee  where  I  am 
(24).     The  purpose  of  this:  that  they 
may  behold  my  glory. 

To  these  petitions  is  added  almost  in  the  form  of  a 
summary : 

(1)  A  justification  for  the  whole  prayer 

(25)  and 

(2)  An  inclusive  statement  of  the   two- 

fold purpose  of  it  all  (26). 

The  above  analysis  aims  to  bring  out  only  the  salient 
points.  The  interrelation  of  subordinate  thoughts  will 
appear  in  the  interpretation  which  follows. 

2.  A  Prayer  for  Himself:  Glorify  Me  (17:1-5) 

Hardly  had  the  words  of  comfort  and  encouragement 

passed  from  his  lips,  when  Jesus  lifting  his  eyes  to  heaven 

engaged  in  prayer.     About  him  stood  the  sad  yet  hopeful 

group  of  disciples  listening  to  petitions  which  concerned  the 

304 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John       His  Disciples 

profoundest  relations  of  life — divine  and  human.     The 
whole  prayer  has  in  view  the  saving  work  of  God  and 
thereby  his  glory.     Jesus  begins  praying  for  himself,  there-  Jesus  prays 
fore,  only  in  relation  to  the  completion  of  the  Father's  pur-  tion  to 
pose  of  salvation.     ''Father,  the  hour  of  conflict  with  the  (i-J)^"^ 
prince  of  this  world,  of  cruel  death,  and  of  solemn  departure 
is  come.     Exalt  now  thy  Son  to  that  place  and  power  which 
shall  enable  him  to  make  a  larger,  fuller,  more  glorious  man- 
ifestation of  thyself  to  men.     This  I  ask  in  view  of  that  sov- 
ereignty over  all  humanity  which  thou  gavest  me  in  sending 
me  upon  this  incarnate  mission  of  giving  eternal  life  to 
those  whom  thou  hast  brought  to  me  ready  to  receive  it." 
The  evangelist  now  parenthetically  tells  us  that  "the  eternal  What 
life"  of  which  Jesus  had  just  spoken  consists  in  knowing  life"  is  (3) 
the  only  true  God  and  Jesus  Christ  whom  he  had  sent.     In 
other  words  it  is  that  vital  understanding  of  God,  through 
Jesus,  his  truest  interpreter,  which  comes  not  simply  by  in- 
tellectual perception,  but  from  sympathy  and  moral  con- 
formity.    Jesus  continues:    'T  have  glorified  thee  in  my 
earthly  condition  by  finishing  the  work  which  thou  gavest 
me  to  do.     In  order  to  carry  it  on  to  completion  I  need 
larger  power.     Glorify  me  now  in  heaven,  O  Father,  in 
fellowship  with  thee  and  with  that  restoration  to  my  divine 
state  which  I  had  with  thee  before  the  world  came  into 
being." 


305 


His  Disciples 


The  Messages  of  Jestis 


Prayer  jor  His  Disciples:   Keep   Them  in  Thy 
Name  (17:6-19) 


(6-9) 


To  the  men  whom  thou  gavest  me  out  of  the  world — 
these  my  disciples — I  have  set  forth  the  innermost  spiritual 
meaning  of  thy  name;  I  have  shown  them  all  what  divine 
Fatherhood  signifies.  In  virtue  of  their  inward  disposition 
toward  thee  they  were  thine  before  thou  gavest  them  to  me. 
Thou  gavest  them  to  me  and  they  have  kept  thy  word. 
What  the     They  have  come  to  know  that  all  the  truths  and  revelations 

disciples  1.11 

had  come  to  which  thou  gavest  me  are  really  from  thee.  They  have  dis- 
cerned their  origin  in  their  character.  This  was  possible, 
because,  as  a  faithful  messenger,  I  have  given  to  them  all 
and  only  that  which  thou  gavest  me.  They  received  it 
upon  the  authority  of  my  testimony.  By  that  knowledge 
which  is  gained  through  obedience,  they  have  come  to  see 
that  I  came  forth  from  thee,  and  with  their  whole  heart  they 
have  accepted  the  fact  that  thou  hast  sent  me  on  a  special 
mission.  I,  who  have  finished  my  work  on  earth,  now  pray 
for  them  who  are  to  carry  it  on. 

I  am  not  thinking  now  of  the  world,  but  only  of  those 
whom  thou  hast  given  me.  I  plead  for  them  because  they 
are  thine,  even  though  thou  hast  given  them  to  me,  since  all 
things — words,  works,  disciples — that  are  mine  are  thine 
and  thine  are  mine.  Then,  too,  I  have  been  and  am  now 
glorified  in  their  faith  in  me  as  their  Messiah.  The  time 
306 


The 

grounds  of 
Jesus 'speti 
tion  for  his 
disciples 
(10, 11) 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John       His  Disciples 

has  come  for  me  to  leave  the  world;  my  ministry  here  is 

over,  but  these  beloved  disciples  must  remain  in  the  world, 

exposed  to  its  temptations  and  dangers.     Holy  Father, 

keep  them  in  that  sphere  of  holiness  and  love  for  which  thy 

name  stands  and  of  which  my  person  and  message  have 

been  to  them  the  full  expression.     Keep  them  thus  in  order 

that  they  may  be  one  in  perfect  spiritual  union,  as  we  are. 

While  I  have  been  with  them  I  have  thus  kept  them  by  that  He  has  kept 

revelation  of  spiritual  truth  which  thou  gavest  me  to  declare  slfe  fi")'  ^^ 

and  I  have  guarded  them  from  all  the  hostile  influences  of 

the  world.     They  are  all  safe,  except  one,  who  by  his  very 

self-will  seems  doomed  to  destruction,  in  accord  with  the 

word  of  Scripture  (Ps.  41:  9).     I  am  about  to  depart  and  He  prays 

come  to  thee  and  I  am  uttering  these  petitions  in  the  pres-  may  have 

ence  of  these  disciples  in  order  that,  when  I  am  gone,  they    ^^  ^°^  ^^^^ 

may  have  the  joy  which  has  been  mine  through  all  the  trials 

and  fears  of  life — the  joy  of  knowing  the  power  and  surety 

of  thy  protection.    I  have  put  thy  truth  into  their  possession. 

That  truth  has  separated  them  from  the  spirit  and  aims  of 

the  world  as  it  separates  me,  and  so  the  world  hates  them. 

I  do  not  on  that  account  ask  thee  to  take  them  out  of  the  That  they 

world,  for  they  have  a  great  mission  to  accomplish,  but  I  do  kep\  ixom 

beseech  thee  to  keep  them  from  the  power  of  the  evil  one.  [he  world 

Their  very  separation  from  the  world,  as  I  am  separate  ^^4-19) 

from  it,  leads  me  to  pray  that  thou  wouldst  strengthen  and 

make  complete  that  separation  by  means  of  the  truth.    Thy 

word  is  the  revelation  of  eternal  spiritual  verities.     Help 


His  Disciples 


The  Messages  of  Jesus 


them  by  an  even  clearer  insight  into  these  to  devote  them- 
selves more  and  more  fully  to  the  enlightenment  and  salva- 
tion of  men. 

I  pray  for  such  consecration  for  them,  because  I  have 
given  them  this  mission  to  the  world  as  thou  didst  give  me  a 
like  mission.  And  I  consecrate  myself  now  to  a  sacrij5cial 
death  in  their  behalf  in  order  that  they  may  be  truly  con- 
secrated to  God  by  purification  from  the  defilement  of  sin. 


The  one- 
ness of  all 
believers 
(20,  21) 


The  great 
mission  of 
believers 
(22,23) 


4.  For    Those   Who    through    the    Disciples^    Word 
Should  Believe  on  Him  (17:20-26) 

Such  is  my  prayer  for  these  beloved  disciples,  but  my 
heart's  desire  reaches  out  beyond  them  to  all  believers  in 
all  times  and  places  who  shall  by  means  of  their  preaching 
come  to  faith  in  me.  May  they  all,  O  Father,  be  one!  Let 
nothing  imperil  the  unity  of  those  who  accept  me  as  their 
Saviour.  As  thou  art  in  me  and  I  in  thee — one  in  spirit 
and  life — may  they  be  one  in  us  in  order  that  by  such  a  spir- 
itual unity  the  world  may  be  compelled  to  believe  in  the 
divine  origin  of  my  mission.  I  have  given  them  what  thou 
gavest  me,  the  glory  of  revealing  the  divine  in  human  life, 
of  knowing  and  showing  forth  the  Father's  love  in  order 
that  they,  as  we,  may  live  in  and  for  each  other,  I  in  them 
and  thou  in  me,  that  in  this  absolute  harmony  of  life  a  com- 
plete and  final  unity  may  be  attained.  The  result  will  be 
that  the  world  shall  come  to  know,  through  evidence  which 
308 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John       His  Disciples 

cannot  be  gainsaid,  that  my  mission  is  from  thee  and  that 

the  Church  is  the  Church  of  God — loved,  as  I  have  been,  with 

a  divine  love.     O  Father,  it  is  my  last  will  that  all  those  That  all  be- 

whom  thou  hast  given  me  by  graciously  leading  them  to  be  with"hlra 

faith  in  me,  may  be  with  me  where  I  am  that  they  may  be-  ^^"^^ 

hold  my  glory — the  resplendent  revelation  of  the  heavenly 

state  given  to  me  by  thee  out  of  a  love  for  me  which  has 

been  from  all  eternity. 

Righteous  Father,  it  is  true  that  the  world  has  not  known  The  ground 
thee.     It  has  failed  to  find  thee  through  all  its  wisdom,  but  pose  oThis 
it  had  another  way  of  knowing  thee  offered  to  it,  for  I  knew  fzsf 26) 
thee  and  revealed  thee.  These  few  disciples  have  come  to  see 
that  my  mission  is  from  thee.     To  them  I  have  made  known 
thy  holiness  and  love,  and  I  shall  go  on  making  these  known 
as  long  as  the  world  lasts  in  order  that  the  love  wherewith 
thou  hast  loved  me  may  be  the  guiding  principle  of  their 
lives  and  that  I  may  thus  live  in  and  through  them.     It  is 
because  of  this  exalted  purpose  and  issue  that  I  pray  to  thee, 
O  righteous  Father.     Truly  is  the  world  excluded  from 
glory,  but  my  prayer  for  my  disciples  contemplates  only 
that  which  thou  canst  own  and  answer  in  divinest  fulness. 


309 


THE    PASSION 

THE  TRIUMPH  OF  UNBELIEF.  VICTORY  THROUGH 
DEATH.  THE  HIGHEST  SELF-REVELATION  OF 
JESUS. 

Chapters  i8,  19 


THE    PASSION 


GENERAL   INTRODUCTION 


In  this  chapter  the  evangelist  again  comes  back  to 
narrative;  and  all  those  characteristics  of  his  method  of 
narration  which  we  have  heretofore  noticed  appear  in 
his  story.  There  is  in  the  first  place  a  careful  selection 
of  events,  and  the  purpose  in  tliis  selection  is,  as  usual, 
the  exhibition  of  the  "glory"  of  the  Messiah.  It  is  not 
so  much  the  event  in  each  case  which  interests  him  as  it  is 
the  bearing  of  that  event  upon  the  revelation  of  the  per- 
son of  Christ.  Here  we  are  to  see,  as  far  as  the  arrest 
and  trial  are  concerned,  the  complete  voluntariness  of  the 
surrender  of  Jesus  to  his  fate.  Amid  all  the  forces  that 
combine  to  bring  about  his  death,  he  stands  Master. 
He  goes  willingly  along  the  dark  way  to  which  they  have 
brought  him.  Judas  betrays  him,  and  he  immediately 
offers  himself  to  the  officers ;  Pilate  threatens  and  is  non- 
plussed before  the  dignified  unresisting  sufferer.  Geth- 
semane  with  its  intense  struggle  is  not  pictured  in  this 
gospel,  but  once  and  again  in  the  account  of  the  Passion 

3^3 


The  Passion  The  Messages  of  Jesus 

John  gives  us  illustrations  of  the  calm  majesty,  the  serene 
peace  which  came  to  the  heart  of  Jesus  as  answer  to  his 
prayer,  "Let  this  cup  pass  from  me." 

We  are  also  reminded  now  and  then,  that  all  the  dark 
and  dreadful  scenes  are  part  of  the  plan  of  God.  The 
hatred  and  cruelty  of  men  are  compelled  to  serve  him. 
Again  it  is  of  interest  to  note  that  there  is  abundant  evi- 
dence of  an  eye-witness  (see  1,  3,  6,  10,  11,  13,  15,  the 
•w^hole  account  of  the  denials  of  Peter,  and  verse  28). 
An  eminent  jurist  has  said  of  the  transactions  before 
Pilate,  that  the  writer  of  the  Fourth  Gospel  has  given  us 
a  remarkably  faithful  picture  of  its  ongoing,  faithful  both 
in  the  clearness  and  naturalness  of  its  changing  situa- 
tions. These  two  chapters  (18,  19)  therefore  afford  an 
excellent  opportunity  for  the  examination  of  the  histo- 
ricity of  the  evangeHst,  as  well  as  of  the  way  he  seeks  to 
interpret  the  inner  meaning  of  the  history. 


II 

THE   ARREST    (l8:i-I2) 

Jesus  goes        When  the  prayer  was  ended  Jesus  left  the  upper  room 

semane'(i)    with  his  disciples,  and  going  out  of  the  city  on  the  eastern 

side,  descended  the  hill  and  crossed  the  dry  bed  of  the 

Kedron  to  a  quiet,  familiar  spot  owned  by  a  friend  and  on 

the  lower  slope  of  the  Mount  of  Olives — the  Garden  of 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John       The  Passion 

Gethsemane.     In  the  deep,  protecting  shadows  of  its  olive  The  offi- 
trees  took  place  the  agony  portrayed  by  the  Synoptics.  John  soldiers 
passes  this  by  and  introduces  us  to  the  scene  at  the  moment  ju^das^^"^* 
when  the  stillness  of  the  night  was  broken  by  the  coming  fhei^(2^  3) 
of  a  detachment  of  Roman  soldiers  accompanying  the  offi- 
cials of  the  sanhedrin  and  some  of  the  high-priests.     All 
about  on  the  hills  around  the  city  multitudes  of  pilgrims  to 
the  feast  were  camping,  and  it  was  from  fear  of  a  popular 
outbreak  in  connection  with  the  arrest  that  the  soldiers  were 
called  in.     Judas  was  the  guide,  and  he  knew  the  spot  where 
Jesus  and  the  disciples  had  often  assembled.     It  may  have 
been  that  during  the  week  just  gone  they  had  more  than  once 
spent  the  night  in  this  very  place  (Lk.  21:  37).     Though 
the  full  light  of  the  Passover  moon  made  the  night  brilhant, 
yet  the  officials,  to  guard  against  Jesus's  concealment  of 
himself  in  the  deep  shadows  or  a  possible  substitution  of  a 
disciple  for  himself,  came  with  lanterns  and  torches.  Jesus,  Jesus  meets 
knowing  well  what  was  meant  by  the  approach  of  this  armed  juXs^° 
company,  went  forth  out  of  the  shadows  of  the  garden  to  \^^l)  ^^™ 
meet  them.     Just  as  he  stepped  forth  Judas  probably 
stepped  up  and  kissed  him  (Mk.  14:  45).     John,  in  his  de- 
sire to  emphasize  the  voluntary  nature  of  Jesus's  action, 
passed  by  this  incident  of  the  kiss  and  gives  us  only  the  words 
of  the  Master  as  he  turned  from  the  treacherous  act  of  Ju- 
das to  the  company.     "  Whom  are  you  seeking?"  he  asked. 
"Jesus,  the  Nazarene,"  was  their  reply.     "I  am  he,"  said 
Jesus.     Surprised  at  this  unexpected  meeting,  and  super- 

315 


The  Passion 


The  Messages  of  Jesus 


The  sol- 
diers 
startled, 
Jesus  asks 
that  his  dis- 
ciples may 
go  free 
(6-9) 


Peter's  at- 
tack 
(lo, ii) 


Why  this 
incident  is 
given 


stitiously  fearing  that  his  ready  appearance  meant  some 
form  of  judgment  upon  them,  they  hastily  fell  back  in  con- 
fusion, Judas  among  them.  To  call  them  to  their  senses 
and  to  their  business,  Jesus  again  asked  whom  they  were 
seeking,  and  again  they  replied,  "Jesus,  the  Nazarene." 
"I  am  he,"  said  Jesus,  "and  inasmuch  as  you  are  seeking 
only  me,  I  ask  you  to  let  these,  my  disciples,  depart."  In 
this  request  John  sees  an  exemplification  of  the  fulfilment 
of  the  word  uttered  by  Jesus  in  his  prayer  (17:  12).  Had 
they  been  captured  apostasy  might  have  followed.  This 
protective  intervention  does  not,  of  course,  exhaust  the 
meaning  of  that  word,  "I  have  kept  them  whom  thou  hast 
given  me." 

Simon  Peter,  thinking  a  rescue  possible  for  Jesus  also, 
impetuously  drew  his  sword,  and  attacking  the  high-priest's 
servant  who  was  probably  foremost  in  attempting  to  seize 
Jesus,  cut  off  his  right  ear.  John's  acquaintance  with  the 
high-priest's  household  enabled  him  to  identify  this  servant 
as  one  named  Malchus.  Peter's  act  was  rash  and  perilous, 
and  if  we  had  not  the  account  of  the  miraculous  cure  given 
us  by  Luke  (22:  51)  it  would  be  difficult  to  see  why  the 
hasty  Apostle  was  not  arrested.  The  extended  rebuke  of 
Jesus  (given  us  in  Matthew)  is  here  condensed  into  the 
command  to  Peter  to  put  his  sword  back  into  its  sheath, 
and  is  followed  by  the  question  which  brings  out  the  reason 
for  this  narrative  about  the  wounded  servant,  namely,  the 
voluntariness  of  Jesus  in  meeting  death.  Shall  I  not  accept 
316 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John        The  Passion 

the  destiny  (suffering  and  death)  appointed  me  by  my 
Father? 

At  the  command  of  the  chiliarch  (colonel),  the  soldiers  Jesus  ar- 
assisted  the  officers  of  the  Sanhedrin,  and  they  bound  the 
hands  of  Jesus  behind  his  back,  preparatory  to  taking  him 
away. 

Ill 

THE   EXAMINATION   BEFORE   ANNAS    (18:13-27) 

John  gives  the  account  of  the  examination  before 
Annas;  the  Synoptics,  that  before  Caiaphas.  The  diffi- 
culties of  harmonization  come  in  connection  with  the 
denials  of  Peter.  Did  they  take  place  during  the  exam- 
ination before  Annas,  or  during  the  succeeding  exam- 
ination before  Caiaphas?  If  the  designation  "high- 
priest"  in  15,  16,  19,  22  refers  to  Caiaphas  then  the  verb 
in  24  is  to  be  translated  "had  sent,"  and  this  verse  (24) 
is  inserted  either  between  verses  13  and  14  or  between 
18  and  19,  and  that  which  follows  in  each  case  is  the  ex- 
amination before  Caiaphas.  If  the  term  "high-priest" 
signifies  Annas,  and  this  is  possible  (see  Lk.  3:2;  Acts 
4:  6),  then  the  verb  of  verse  24  is  translated  "sent,"  and 
the  examination  before  Caiaphas  is  not  given  by  John. 
This  latter  interpretation  supposes  that  Caiaphas  was 
present  during  the  examination  before  Annas;  that  An- 
nas sent  Jesus  after  he  was  through  with  him  to  be  offi- 

317 


The  Passion  The  Messages  of  Jesus 

cially  examined  by  Caiaphas,  and  that  the  Synoptics, 
knowing  nothing  of  the  preHminary  examination  before 
Annas,  during  which  the  denials  actually  occurred,  con- 
nect these  denials  with  the  examination  before  Caiaphas. 
Identity  of  scene,  if  not  of  time,  is  gained  by  supposing 
that  Annas  had  apartments  in  the  palace  of  the  high- 
priest  Caiaphas — a  natural  supposition  in  view  of  the  re- 
lationship of  Annas  and  Caiaphas.  This  supposition  is 
also  supported  by  the  statement  in  verse  28.1 

Annas  Leaving  the  Garden  of  Gethsemane,  the  Jewish  officials 

took  Jesus  first  to  Annas.  This  man  who  had  been  himself 
high-priest  for  several  years  (a.d.  7-14)  and  who  still  was 
known  by  this  title  (Acts  4:6),  exercised  a  commanding  in- 
fluence in  Jerusalem,  as  is  shown  by  the  fact  that  five  of  his 
sons  held  the  office  of  high-priest.  He  was  the  father-in- 
law  of  Caiaphas,  the  high-priest  at  this  time,  and  his  astute- 
ness was  sought  in  order  to  frame,  if  possible,  from  the  re- 
plies of  the  prisoner,  some  specific  charges  to  be  laid  later 
before  the  council.  Indeed,  he  was  to  prepare  the  way  for 
carrying  out  the  policy  which  Caiaphas  had  once  urged 
upon  the  authorities,  namely,  that  it  was  better  for  one 
man  to  die  for  the  good  of  the  people. 

Peter's  trial      While  the  examination  was  progressing  in  the  palace 
(15.16) 

1  Among  others  the  following  arrangements  of  this  chapter  have  been  sug- 
gested in  order  to  meet  its  difficulties:  (i)  13-14.  19-24,  15-18,  25b-28.  (2) 
13, 24, 14-1S.  19-23.  i6-i8,  25b, 28. 

318 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John        The  Passion 

another  inquiry  was  going  on  in  the  court -yard,  of  a  differ- 
ent kind  and  issue.  Peter  and  another  disciple  (presum- 
ably John)  had  followed  Jesus  to  the  palace  gate.  This 
second  disciple,  probably  on  account  of  business  relations 
or,  perhaps,  because  of  some  family  connection,  was  known 
to  the  household  of  the  high-priest,  and  was  thus  admitted 
to  the  palace  court.  Peter,  as  a  stranger,  was  excluded,  and 
stood  without  by  the  gate.  John,  missing  him,  spoke  to  the 
gate-keeper,  and  was  allowed  to  bring  him  in.  As  Peter 
came  in  with  John,  the  young  girl  who  was  attending  the 
door  asked,  **  You  are  not,  too,  one  of  that  man's  disciples.  First  denial 
are  you?"  "No,  I  am  not,"  said  Peter.  And  with  this  he 
passed  on  into  the  court,  to  the  place  where  the  servants  and 
officials  were  warming  themselves  by  a  charcoal  fire. 

Meanwhile,  the  high-priest  questioned  Jesus  as  to  the  The  high- 
number  and  character  of  his  disciples,  and  as  to  the  princi-  tions  Jesus 
pies  which  he  was  teaching  them.    As  the  object  of  this  was  ^^^^ 
to  get  from  his  lips  some  utterance  which  they  might  use 
against  him,  Jesus  referred  them  to  what  he  had  spoken 
openly  in  public.    "I  have  taught  always  either  in  synagogue 
or  in  the  Temple  where  all  the  Jews  are  accustomed  to 
assemble.     Never  have  I  said  one  word  in  secret  which  was  The  reply 

,  ,    .         ,  ,,  ,,^        ,  .  _  of  Jesus 

not  to  be  proclaimed  to  all  men.     Why  do  you  question  mei  (20, 21) 

Ask  those  who  have  heard  me  speak.     Some  of  these  very 

men  here  present  know  what  I  have  said."     Thinking  that  An  officer 

strik.6s 

this  reply  savored  of  discourtesy  to  the  high-priest,  one  of  the  jesus  on 
officers  standing  by  gave  Jesus  a  blow  on  the  cheek,  saying, 

319 


The  Passion  The  Messages  of  Jesus 

"Is  that  the  way  you  talk  to  the  high-priest?"     To  this  in- 
sult Jesus  calmly  repHed,  "If  I  have  taught  that  which  is 
evil,  come  forward  as  a  witness  of  the  evil  which  you  have 
heard.     If,  on  the  contrary,  I  have  taught  that  which  is 
good,  why  do  you  strike  me?"     As  nothing  came  of  this 
preliminary  hearing,  Annas  sent  Jesus  bound  to  Caiaphas, 
the  high-priest,  to  undergo  an  official  examination. 
Peter's  sec-       To  return  for  a  moment  to  Peter,  whom  we  left  by  the 
(25)  ^^^^     fire  in  the  court.     While  he  was  trying  to  warm  himself, 
some  of  the  bystanders  asked  him  if  he  was  not  one  of  that 
man's  disciples.     To  this  he  made  prompt  denial,  saying 
that  he  was  not  his  disciple;  whereupon  one  of  the  servants 
of  the  high-priest,  a  kinsman  of  him  whose  ear  Peter  cut  off, 
asked  if  he  had  not  seen  him  (Peter)  in  the  Garden  of 
Histhird      Gethsemane  with  Jesus.     Again  Peter  said,  "No,"  and 
(26, 27)        forthwith  a  cock  crew.     The  dawn  was  approaching,  and 
the  warning  to  Peter  in  the  upper  room  was  fulfilled 
(13:38).       . 

IV 

JESUS    BEFORE    PILATE    (18:28-19:16) 

The  aims  in      John  simply  alludes  to  the  hearing  before  Caiaphas ;  he 

rati?e^  ^^^    gives  US  no  account  of  it.     Nor  is  anything  told  us  of  the 

"assembly  of  the  elders"  referred  to  in  Luke.     We  are 

taken  immediately  from  the  proceedings  before  Annas 

to  the  palace  of  Pilate.     His  aim  is  to  show  us  how  un- 

320 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John        The  Passion 

belief  completed  its  course  by  handing  Jesus  over  to  a 
Gentile  to  be  condemned  to  death  and  yet  how  Jesus 
voluntarily  and  in  accord  with  the  will  of  God  met  his 
fate.  The  conduct  of  Pilate  affords  a  fine  psychological 
study  of  the  battle  in  a  man's  soul  between  conscience 
and  the  fear  of  public  opnion,  perhaps  between  con- 
science and  selfishness  as  threatened  by  public  opinion. 
Pilate  is  true  to  the  picture  which  Josephus  gives  us  of 
him;  indeed,  without  John's  account,  we  should  be  at  a 
loss  to  explain  some  of  the  situations  given  us  in  the 
Synoptics.  There  is  in  this  whole  account  remarkable 
fidelity  to  the  historical  situation  in  Judea,  as  we  know  it 
from  other  sources.  John  was  probably  present  at  these 
private  examinations,  for  there  are  repeated  evidences  of 
an  eye-witness. 

In  the  proceedings  subsequent  to  the  hearing  before  The  Jews 
Annas,  Jesus  was  condemned  to  death.     It  was  necessary,  to  the  Prse- 
now,  to  take  him  to  the  Roman  governor  to  get  the  sentence  (28a)'" 
executed.     Hence,  the  Jews  led  him  from  the  palace  of 
Caiaphas  to  the  royal  residence  of  Pilate,  the  Praetorium. 
It  is  not  certain  whether  by  this  is  meant  a  palace  on  the 
western  hill  of  the  city,  usually  occupied  by  the  governors 
while  in  the  capital,  or  the  fortress  of  Antonia  on  the  north 
side  of  the  Temple  enclosure. 

The  morning  was  just  breaking  when   they  came,  but 
they  were  very  careful  not  to  go  with  their  prisoner  into  the 
321 


The  Passion  The  Messages  of  Jesus 

The  Jews  palace  lest,  by  being  defiled  from  entering  the  unpurified 
into  die°  ^°  house  of  a  Gentile,  they  could  not  eat  the  Passover.  Pilate, 
frac"  therefore,  went  out  to  them  and,  in  order  to  give  formality 

to  their  charge,  asked  them  what  accusation  they  had  to 
bring  against  their  prisoner.     They  replied  virtually:  "We 
have  decided  this  man's  case;  we  are  not  bound  to  go 
through  the  evidence  again  for  you.     If  he  were  not  a  male- 
factor, we  would  not  have  delivered  him  into  your  hands." 
Theyde-      ''Very  well,  then,"  said  Pilate,  "if  you  have  no  formal 
Pifate  the     charge  to  make,  it  must  be  some  case  which  you  can  dispose 
Jesus  °^       of  according  to  your  own  rules.     Take  the  man  and  judge 
(29-32)        jjjj^  yourselves."     "It  is  not  lawful  for  us,"  replied  the 
Jews,  "to  put  a  man  to  death,  and  we  want  this  man  put 
to  death."     In  this  action  of  the  Jews,  the  evangelist  sees 
the   fulfilment   of    the   prophecy   of  Jesus    (12:32,   2)1^'. 
"And  I,  if  I  be  lifted  up  from  the  earth,  will  draw  all 
men  unto   me."     The    Jews   were  anxious  to   make   it 
appear  that  Jesus  had  been  condemned  by  the  Romans. 
If  the  Romans  condemned  him  to  death,  then  the  method 
of  execution  would  be  crucifixion.     Thus  the  "Hftingup" 
was  to  be  fulfilled. 

Pilate  undoubtedly  insisted  upon  a  definite  charge  and 
the  Jews  now  framed  it,  but  in  such  a  way  as  to  make  the 
claim  of  Jesus  to  be  the  Messiah  the  equivalent  of  political 
treason,  and  so  punishable  with  death.  "We  found  this 
man  perverting  our  nation  and  forbidding  to  give  tribute  to 
Caesar,  and  saying  that  he  himself  is  Christ,  a  king"  (Lk. 
322 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John        The  Passion 

23:  2).     Jesus,  having  entered  the  Praetorium,  did  not  hear 
this  charge,  but  was  soon  questioned  about  it  as  Pilate  came 
within  and  undertook  personally  to  examine  him.     "Is  it  Pilate  ques- 
true,"  he  asked,  "that  thou  art  the  King  of  the  Jews?"  (sT-ssf"^ 
"That  depends  upon  the  point  of  view  of  your  inquiry," 
replied  Jesus.     "Are  you  asking  it  seriously,  with  a  real 
desire  to  know  something  about  the  Kingdom  of  God,  or  are 
you  simply  repeating  a  political  insinuation  of  my  accus- 
ers?"    Pilate  in  haughty  scorn  exclaimed:  "Am  I  a  Jew? 
What  personal  interest  can  I  have  in  such  vagaries?     Your 
people  gave  you  into  my  hands,  and  I  am  simply  questioning 
you  in  reference  to  the  charge  they  make  against  you. 
What  have  you  done  ?  "     "You  speak  of  my  being  delivered 
into  your  hands,"  replied  Jesus.    That  ought  to  be  suffi- 
cient evidence  to  you  that  I  am  not  trying  to  set  up  an 
earthly  political  kingdom.     Had  I  been  aiming  at  this,  my  Jesus  repu- 
adherents  would  have  fought  to  keep  me  out  of  the  hands  charge  (36) 
of  the  Jews.     Nothing  of  the  kind  has  happened  and  the 
reason  is  that  my  kingdom  is  not  of  a  worldly  nature,  nor  is 
it  to  be  established  by  worldly  means.     It  does  not  derive  its 
origin  from  human  will  and  earthly  force.     "So  then,  thou 
art  a  king?"  responded  Pilate.     "Yes,"  said  Jesus,  "I  am  a  jesus  ac- 
king,  and  let  me  tell  you  what  my  royal  mission  is.     For  thatlieis^^^ 
just  one  purpose  was  I  born,  and  for  the  same  purpose  am  I  (37f  38a) 
come  into  the  world,  namely,  to  bear  witness  to  the  truth  to 
absolute  reality  regarding  God  and  his  relations  to  men. 
Every  one  who  desires  reality  in  things  spiritual  recognizes 


The  Passion  The  Messages  of  Jesus 

and  obeys    my   divine    authority."    "  Absurd !    What   is 

truth?"  exclaimed  Pilate. 

Pilate  finds       Convinced  that  the  man  before  him  was  no  seditionist, 

in  him  Pilate  Went  out  of  the  Praetorium  to  the  Jews  and  said  to 

^•^  them:  "For  my  part,  I  find  in  this  man  no  just  ground  for 

your  accusation.     He  may  be  an  innocent  enthusiast;  he 

He  suggests  certainly  is  no  instigator  of  rebelHon.     Let  me  suggest  to 

go.   They    you  that,  following  the  custom  according  to  which  the  pro- 

Barabbas     curator  frecs  one  prisoner  at  the  time  of  the  Passover,  I  set 

(39. 40)        £j.gg  |.j^g  King  of  the  Jews.     Do  you  agree  to  this?"     "No! 

No!    We  do  not,"  they  shouted  (they  had  shouted  in  this 

way  before) .     "  Don't  you  let  him  go !     Release  Barabbas ! " 

The  evangelist,  to  show  the  insincerity  of  the  Jews,  adds, 

"Now  this  Barabbas  was  a  robber."     They  had  concocted 

the  charge  of  sedition  against  Jesus  and  wished  him  to  be 

put  to  death  for  it;  in  almost  the  same  breath  they  were 

calling  for  the  release  of  an  actual  leader  of  sedition. 

Pilate's  sec-      Failing  by  this  compromise  to  save  his  prisoner,  Pilate 

ond  com-  ,  ,  -r  ,  ^ 

promise       now  resorted  to  another.     It  was  the  custom  among  the 
^^"  Romans  to  scourge  the  victim  condemned  to  crucifixion. 

This  was  done  by  binding  him  in  a  stooping  posture  to  a 
low  column  and  then  striking  his  bared  back  with  a  whip, 
the  thongs  of  which  were  weighted  with  lead  and  studded 
with  sharp-pointed  pieces  of  bone.  The  laceration  and 
suffering  were  terrible,  and  often  victims  died  under  its 
cruel  ongoing.  Pilate  hoped  to  satisfy  the  hungry  passion 
of  the  Jews  by  this  amount  of  agony  and  then  let  his  pris- 
324 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John        The  Passion 

oner  go.     In  their  contempt  for  the  Jews,  it  occurred  to  the  The  soi- 
soldiers  that  it  would  be  fine  sport  for  them  to  show  their  him  (2,  3) 
ridicule  of  the  well-known  Messianic  hope  of  the  nation. 
Accordingly,  they  plaited  a  crown  of  thorns  which  they 
forced  down  upon  his  head,  and  they  put  upon  him  one  of 
the  ordinary  red  mantles  of  a  soldier.     Then  they  kept 
coming  up  to  him  and  derisively  saying,  ''Hail,  King  of  the 
Jews,"  at  the  same  moment  slapping  him  in  the  face.     All 
this  happened  within  the  Praetorium.     Pilate  now  goes  out  Pilate  again 
again  to  the  people  and  once  more  asserts  that  he  can  find  jesus's 
no  just  reason  for  condemnation.     In  order  to  make  an  (4^5)^°*^^ 
eflPective  appeal,  he  has  Jesus  brought  out,  still  clothed  in 
the  mocking  garb  of  royalty,  and  showing  all  the  signs  of 
suffering.    "Behold  the  fellow!  "  he  said  to  them.    "Has  he 
not  suffered  enough?    Shall  I  not  let  him  go?"    Instead  of 
moving  the  onlookers  to  pity,  the  sight  rather  stirred  them 
to  deeper  hatred,  and  they  took  up  the  cry  to  which  the 
chief  priests  and  their  officials  incited  them,  "To  the  cross  The  cry, 
with  him!     Crucify  him!"     "If  he  is  to  be  crucified,"  an-  himT"\6) 
swered  Pilate,  "then  you  must  do  it.     I  can  find  in  him  no 
reason  for  it."     The  Jews  now  abandoned  the  political 
charge  and  brought  forth  the  real  reason  of  their  hatred. 
"He  may  have  committed  no  crime,"  they  said,  "judged  by  They 
Roman  law,  but  we  have  a  law,  and  according  to  it  he  ought  with  mak- 
to  die,  because  he  has  made  himself  more  than  Caesar,  yes,  Jh|  son  olf 
more  than  man,  even  Son  of  God."     This  charge,  incom-  ^^^  ^"^^ 
prehensible  as  it  was,  in  even  the  Jewish  sense,  to  the  Rom- 

325 


The  Passion 


TJie  Messages  of  Jesus 


Pilate  now 

supersti- 

tiously 

troubled, 

questions 

Jl'sus 

(8-II) 


an,  awakened  in  his  superstitious,  conscience-smitten  mind 
an  awesome  uneasiness.  There  was  much  in  the  victim's 
words  and  bearing  to  quicken  the  dread  which  this  last 
charge  had  begotten.  He  had  been  warned  by  his  wife  to 
take  no  part  in  condemning  Jesus  (Matt.  27 :  19).  Perhaps 
he  was  some  mysterious  being  half-divine,  half -human,  such 
as  Roman  mythology  was  familiar  with;  at  any  rate,  he 
would  inquire  further,  and  so  he  took  Jesus  back  again  into 
the  Praetorium.  "What  do  they  mean,"  he  asked,  "by 
asserting  that  you  claim  to  be  of  divine  origin?  Whence 
are  you?"  To  this  Jesus  made  no  reply.  It  would  have 
been  simply  impossible  to  make  Pilate  understand.  Nat- 
urally, the  procurator  was  annoyed  at  this  silence,  and  he 
haughtily  asked,  "Do  you  refuse  to  answer?  Are  you  un- 
mindful of  the  fact  that  I  have  the  power  to  release  you  or  to 
crucify  you?"  "Whatever  power  you  have  against  me," 
said  Jesus  in  reply,  "you  have  because  it  has  been  given  to 
you  from  above.  Human  government  is  ordained  of  God. 
And  since  power  has  been  given  to  thee,  Caiaphas,  as  repre- 
senting the  sanhedrin,  has  the  greater  guilt;  with  criminal 
intent  he  makes  use  of  your  lawful  power." 

In  consequence  of  this  answer  Pilate  sought  to  release 
him.  We  do  not  know  how,  but  the  attempt  drove  the  Jews 
to  desperate  efforts  to  accomplish  their  purpose.  Dropping 
entirely  the  religious  plea  of  a  transgression  of  their  holy 
law,  they  affected  to  be  zealous  in  their  loyalty  to  Caesar,  the 
man  whom  on  earth  they  most  deeply  hated.  If  you  let  this 
326 


According  to  the   Gospel  of  John        The  Passion 

man  go,  they  shouted  in  their  excitement,  you  are  not  a  The  Jews 
friend  of  the  emperor.     Every  man  who  sets  himself  up  as  p?Se's  ° 
king,  sets  himself  against  the  emperor.    Tiberius,  the  reign-   ^^^^  ^"^ 
ing  emperor,  was  both  suspicious  and  jealous.    Pilate's  past 
record  had  not  been  altogether  satisfactory  to  Rome;  the 
appeal  to  his  selfish  fears  was  successful.     He  formally 
took  his  place  upon  the  judgment-seat,  which  was  upon  a 
raised  tessellated  platform,  called  in  Hebrew  Gabbatha. 
Both  the  day  and  the  hour  of  this  critical  act  are  given  us  by 
the  evangelist.     It  was  on  the  day  of  preparation  for  the 
Passover,  somewhere  about  noon.     In  sarcasm  and  anger,  Piiate  suc- 
Pilate,  pointing  to  Jesus,  whom  he  had  brought  again  out  ("J^i6) 
of  the  Praetorium,  said,  "See,  here  is  your  noble  king!" 
The  words  were  the  signal  for  an  outburst  of  rage.    "Away 
with   him!     Away   with   him!     Crucify   him!"     "What! 
Shall  I  crucify  your  king?"     With  a  lie  born  of  their  hatred, 
the  chief  priests  answered,  "We  have  no  king  but  Caesar." 
There  was  now  no  longer  any  room  for  delay.     Pilate  hand- 
ed over  his  prisoner  to  the  sanhedrists  with  the  authority  to 
crucify  him. 


THE   CRUCIFIXION  AND   DEATH    (19:17-30) 

It  is  difficult  to  appreciate  fully  the  horrors  of  the  The  horror 
Roman  method  of  execution  until  one  has  acquainted  Romin 
himself  with  the  brutality,  torture,  and  shame  attending  dfixion"" 

327 


The  Passion 


The  Messages  of  Jesus 


The  site  of 
Calvary 


it.  Fever,  slow  death,  and  insanity  were  its  usual  ac- 
companiments. Jesus,  dying  hterally  of  a  "broken 
heart,"  was  spared  the  long  agony  which  otherwise 
might  have  come  to  him.  Concerning  the  site  of  Cal- 
vary, a  considerable  Hterature  has  in  recent  years  come 
into  existence.  Every  Protestant  traveller  to  Jerusalem 
must  certainly  wish  that  the  hill  above  Jeremiah's  grotto, 
not  far  from  the  present  Damascus  gate,  may  ultimately 
prove  to  be  the  true  site.  John's  account  of  the  cruci- 
fixion, as  compared  with  the  Synoptics,  is  condensed. 
What  is  narrated  tends  toward  the  glorification  of  the 
Messiah,  in  that  Scripture  is  being  fulfilled.  There  are 
details  given  which  reveal  an  eye-witness. 


They  take 
Jesus  to 
Golgotha 
(17.  i8) 


The  Jewish  authorities  received  Jesus  from  the  hands  of 
Pilate  and  proceeded  at  once  to  crucifixion.  It  was  the 
custom  both  among  the  Romans  and  the  Jews  to  execute 
criminals  outside  of  the  city,  and  so  the  crowd,  with  the 
prisoner  bearing  his  own  cross,  found  its  way  to  a  place 
called,  from  its  peculiar  shape,  the  skull,  in  Hebrew,  Gol- 
gotha. Here  they  fastened  the  body  of  Jesus  to  a  pros- 
trate cross  with  nails  and  ropes,  and  then  raised  the  cross 
and  thrust  it  into  the  socket  prepared  for  it.  At  the  same 
time  two  others,  "robbers,"  Matthew  calls  them,  were  cru- 
cified, one  on  each  side  of  the  cross  of  Jesus,  and  the  awful 
agony  began.  Usually  a  board  whitened  with  gypsum  and 
containing  a  statement  of  his  crime  was  carried  either  by 
^.28 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  JoJm        The  Passion 

the  criminal  himself,  or  before  him  on  the  way  to  execution. 
This  board  was  afterward  nailed  to  the  cross.    Pilate  saw  in 
this  custom  an  opportunity  to  humble  the  pride  of  the  Jews, 
and  so  he  had  prepared  for  the  cross  of  Jesus  the  following 
superscription:    "Jesus  the  Nazarene,  King  of  the  Jews."  Pilate's  in- 
That  everybody  might  be  able  to  read  the  insult,  he  had  it  (i") 
written  in  Hebrew,  Latin,  and  Greek.     The  place  of  cruci- 
fixion was  so  near  to  the  city  that  many  of  the  Jews  could 
from  the  house-tops  read  the  inscription.     Naturally,  they 
were  indignant,  and  the  chief  priests,  here  significantly 
noted  as  "the  chief  priests  of  the  Jews"  (in  contrast  per- 
haps to  their  King  of  the  Jews),  tried  to  persuade  Pilate  The  Jews 
to  change  the  inscription  so  as  to  make  it  read  that  he  poate 
said  "I  am  King  of  the  Jews."     This  would  show  that  the  (^^f^V* 
claim  was  not  admitted.     Pilate  gladly  and  persistently 
refused  to  do  it.     "What  I  have  written,  I  have  written," 
he  replied,  "let  it  stand!" 


VI 

THE   FOUR   ENEMIES   AND    THE   FIVE   FRIENDS 
(19:23-27) 

A  squad  of  four  soldiers  had  been  detailed  to  carry  out  The  soldiers 
the  execution.     To  them,  by  custom,  belonged  the  clothes  his  garment 
of  the  crucified,  and  they  proceeded  to  appropriate  them  by  ^^^'  ^'^' 
dividing  them  into  four  portions,  one  to  each  soldier.  When 
329 


The  Passion 


The  Messages  of  Jesus 


The  friends 
at  the  cross 
(25) 


Jesus  com- 
mits his 
mother  to 
John 
(26,  27) 


they  came  to  the  close-fitting  inner  tunic,  or  vest,  they  were 
for  a  moment  at  a  standstill.  This  garment,  hke  the  tunic 
of  the  high-priest,  was  seamless  and  woven  in  one  piece 
from  top  to  bottom.  It  could  not  be  divided  without  being 
ruined.  They  concluded,  therefore,  to  cast  lots  for  it.  In 
this  scene  was  realized  to  the  very  letter  the  description 
given  by  the  psalmist  when  he  draws  the  picture  of  Israel's 
king  in  the  height  of  his  sufferings.  "They  parted  my  rai- 
ment among  them,  and  for  my  vesture  they  did  cast  lots  " 
(Ps.  22:18).  In  these  words  the  evangelist  hears  the  Mes- 
siah speaking,  and  it  is  significant  also  for  him  that  this 
customary  act  of  the  soldiers,  without  intention  on  their 
part,  indicated  Jesus  to  be  the  true  David.  The  cross  by 
its  inscription,  and  the  soldiers  by  their  unconscious  fulfil- 
ment of  prophecy,  glorified  him  who  suffered. 

In  striking  contrast  to  this  group  of  soldiers  near  the 
cross,  is  another  made  up  of  four  ministering  women  and 
the  beloved  disciple.  These  faithful  followers  had  kept 
as  near  to  their  Lord  as  they  could.  They  were  Mary, 
the  mother  of  Jesus,  her  sister,  Salome,  the  mother  of 
John,  Mary,  the  wife  of  Clopas,  and  ISIary  Magdalene. 
As  Jesus  looked  down  upon  his  mother,  supported  in  her 
anguish  by  the  disciple  whom  he  loved,  he  said  to  her, 
"Woman  [a  term  of  respect],  behold  thy  son.  I  am  going 
away;  he  will  take  my  place,  and  care  for  you  in  true  sym- 
pathy." Then  turning  his  eyes  to  John,  he  said,  "Behold 
thy  mother.     Let  her  be  as  a  mother  for  whom  you  will 

330 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John  The  Passion 
— « — — ■ 

care  and  provide."  Gladly  did  the  beloved  disciple  accept 
this  commission  from  the  lips  of  his  dying  Master,  and 
from  that  hour  he  took  Mary  to  his  own  home. 

In  accord  with  his  desire  to  present  those  incidents  which 
were  a  fulfilment  of  prophecy,  John  calls  attention  now  to 
that  moment  when,  nearing  the  end  of  his  sufferings  and 
experiencing  the  torture  of  a  burning  thirst,  Jesus  ex- 
claimed, "I  am  thirsty"  (see  Ps.  69:21).  It  is  to  be  Prophecy 
noted  that  the  evangelist  uses  here  the  word  ''completed,"  (28, 29) 
instead  of  "fulfilled,"  meaning  thereby  that  this  utterance 
of  physical  suffering  was  the  last  thing  required  to  make 
complete  that  prophetic  picture  of  the  suffering  Messiah, 
the  details  of  which  have  been  given  us  in  the  progress  of  the 
awful  night  and  day  of  the  Lord's  passion.  Near  the  cross 
stood  a  vessel  of  sour  wine,  the  drink  of  common  workmen 
and  soldiers,  provided  here  for  the  sufferers,  as  is  evident 
from  the  means  at  hand  to  give  it  to  them,  namely,  a  sponge 
fastened  upon  a  stalk  of  hyssop.  The  drink  was  given  to 
him  by  a  pitying  soldier,  who,  perhaps,  as  Weiss  says,  ex- 
plained his  action  to  the  bystanders  (who  were  in  scorn  re- 
fusing it  in  order  to  see  whether  Elijah  would  help  him  out 
— see  Mk.  15 :  36)  by  saying  that  he  wished  to  preserve  the 
life  of  the  dying  man  long  enough  to  see  whether  Elias 
would  come  to  save  him.  When  Jesus  had  taken  it  he  cried  The  cry,  "it 
out,  "It  is  finished,"  and  bowing  his  head  gave  up  his  J^^^*^^^'^" 
spirit.  All  had  been  done  that  could  be  done  to  reveal  to 
men  the  true  character  of  God  and  his  purpose  to  save 


The  Passion 


The  Messages  of  Jesus 


Means  used 
to  hasten 
death 


Pilate  sent 
orders  to 
have  the  legs 
broken 
(31.  32) 


Jesus  being 
dead,  the 
legs  were  not 
broken 
(33.  34) 


them.     Voluntarily,  gladly  Jesus  gave  up  his  life  to  make 
that  revelation  complete. 

It  v^as  the  Roman  custom  to  leave  the  corpses  of  the  cru- 
cified to  putrefy  on  the  cross  or  to  be  consumed  by  birds  of 
prey  and  wild  beasts.  To  hasten  death,  as  vi^ell  as  to  pre- 
vent rescue  in  case  living  victims  were  left  unguarded,  it  was 
also  customary  to  break  their  legs  by  a  bar  or  heavy  mallet. 
The  afternoon  of  the  day  of  preparation  was  well  along,  and 
the  coming  day  beginning  at  six  o'clock  in  the  evening  was 
to  be  a  "great"  day,  being  the  Passover  as  well  as  the  ordi- 
nary Sabbath.  The  precaution,  therefore,  that  the  land 
should  not  be  polluted  by  a  dead  body  unburied  before  sun- 
set (Deut.  21 :  23)  was  very  urgent.  The  Jews  accordingly 
begged  Pilate  to  order  the  legs  of  the  sufferers  to  be  broken 
that  death  might  be  hastened  and  the  bodies  taken  away. 
Pilate,  respecting  the  scruples  of  the  Jews,  sent  orders  to 
have  this  done.  The  soldiers  began  with  the  "robbers," 
but  when  they  came  to  Jesus  they  found  the  command  un- 
necessary, for  he  was  already  dead.  In  order,  however,  to 
be  sure  that  life  was  extinct,  one  of  the  soldiers  gashed  his 
side  with  a  spear,  and  from  the  cut  came  out  blood  and 
water.  If  Jesus  died  of  a  broken  heart,  as  several  details 
regarding  his  death  seem  to  indicate,  this  mixed  flow  of 
blood  and  water  came  from  the  pericardium,  which,  being 
filled  with  blood  by  the  heart's  rupture,  allowed  the  rapid 
separation  of  the  solid  and  liquid  elements.  The  evange- 
list of  course  knows  nothing  of  the  physiological  process, 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John        The  Passion 

but  records  the  fact.     It  is  a  fact  proving  death,  rather  than 
one  suggesting  allegorical  interpretations. 

To  this  fact  of  the  death  of  Jesus  the  evangelist  bears  Jesus  actu- 
emphatic  witness.     What  he  bears  witness  to,  he  saw  with  ^  ^  *^ 
his  own  eyes.     It  is  therefore  adequate  testimony;  also  its 
contents  are  true.     The  death  was  no  swoon;  it  was  an 
actual  cessation  of  physical  life.     And  what  is  shown  by 
this  death,  which  needed  no  breaking  of  the  legs  to  bring  it 
about,  and  which  was  confirmed  by  the  result  of  the  spear? 
This,  that  Jesus  was  the  Messiah,  for  in  both  of  these  inci-  Thefuifii- 
dents  the  Scripture  was  fulfilled  which  says,  **a  bone  of  him  sSipture 
shall  not  be  broken"  (Ex.  12 :  46),  and  ''They  shall  look  on  ^^^^ 
him  whom  they  pierced."    "The  first  fact  (to  quote  West- 
cott)  pointed  the  student  of  Scripture  to  the  fulfilment  in 
Jesus  of  the  symbolism  of  the  law;  the  second  to  the  fulfil- 
ment in  him  of  the  promises   as  the'  representative  of 
Jehovah." 

VII 

THE   BURIAL    (19:38-42) 

At  the  very  moment  when  unbelief  seemed  trium- 
phant, faith  was  exhibited  in  the  persons  of  two  members 
of  the  Jewish  aristocracy,  Joseph  of  Arimathea,  and 
Nicodemus.  All  had  happened  as  Jesus  had  predicted. 
John  makes  that  clear .  This  supreme  hour  which  at  the 
time  seemed  the  very  extinguishing  of  the  hopes  of  the 

III 


The  Passion  The  Messages  of  Jesus 

disciples  was  to  the  Apostle,  when  he  wrote,  supreme 
in  quite  another  sense.  He  had  made  us  see  not  only 
the  intense  perversity  of  the  Jews  and  the  faith  of  a  few 
trustful  souls,  but  also  the  total,  subhme  self-surrender 
of  him  who  "died  to  save  us  all." 

Had  the  ordinary  course  with  reference  to  the  bodies  of 
crucified  criminals  now  been  followed,  they  would  have 
been  cast  into  some  common  pit  of  refuse.     Such  probably 
was  the  fate  of  the  robbers,  but  the  body  of  Jesus  was  saved 
Joseph  of       from  this  dishonor.      A  disciple,  keeping  his  discipleship 
asks  for  the    hitherto  Secret  because  of  his  fear  of  the  Jews,  was  now 
^^^^'      emboldened,  through  his  very  fear  of  the  threatening  dis- 
grace to  the  body  of  his  Lord,  to  go  to  Pilate  and  ask  that  he 
might  take  the  body  away.     This  was  Joseph  of  Arimathea 
(place  not  identified),  a  rich  man  and  member  of  the  sanhe- 
drin  who  had  made  Jerusalem  his  home,  as  is  shown  by  his 
possession  of  a  sepulchre  in  the  vicinity.     Pilate  was  sur- 
prised that  Jesus  had  died  so  soon  (Mk.  15 :  44),  but  having 
made  himself  sure  of  the  fact,  gave  Joseph  permission  to 
take  the  body.     Nor  was  Joseph  the  only  secret  disciple 
who  at  this  time  openly  confessed  his  faith  in  the  dead 
Nicodemus    teacher.     Another  member  of  the  sanhedrin  came  forward 
burial  to  aid  him  in  his  effort  to  give  Jesus  an  honorable  burial, — 

139  42;         Nicodemus,  who  had  once  gone  to  Jesus  by  night  to  talk 
with  him  about  the  Kingdom  of  God.     He  brought  about  a 
hundred  pounds  of  a  fragrant  mixture  of  myrrh  and  aloes 
334 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  Jo  Jin        The  Passion 

to  be  used  for  embalming.  Together  they  wrapped  the 
body  of  Jesus  in  linen  bandages  smeared  with  the  mixture, 
preparing  it  for  the  tomb  according  to  the  custom  of  the 
Jews,  and  then  they  laid  it  away  in  Joseph's  new  sepul- 
chre, which  was  located  in  a  garden  not  far  from  the  spot 
where  the  crucifixion  had  taken  place.  The  day — this 
eventful  Friday — was  very  near  its  close,  and  what  prepara- 
tion could  be  made  had  to  be  hurried.  So,  too,  it  was  neces- 
sary to  use  a  sepulchre  close  at  hand,  as  Joseph's  was,  for  a 
provisional,  if  not  permanent,  resting  place. 


335 


THE    RESURRECTION 

THE     BEGINNING     OF     EXALTATION.        THE     MESSIAH 
GLORIFIED.       FAITH    TRIUMPHANT. 

Chapter  20 


THE    RESURRECTION 


Introductory 


To  any  careful  reader  of  the  two  preceding  chapters 
it  must  be  apparent  how  naturally  and  yet  emphatically 
incidental  details  set  forth  the  actual  death  of  Jesus  upon 
the  cross.  The  experience  of  the  soldier  who  went  to 
break  the  victims'  legs,  the  demand  of  Pilate  for  a  confir- 
mation of  the  report  of  death,  the  interference  of  friends 
to  save  the  body  from  disgraceful  burial — all  these  de- 
tails have  the  stamp  of  facts.  The  hour  of  their  happen- 
ing was  to  all  the  disciples  dark  and  desperate.  They 
had  lost  their  Master.  Suddenly  on  that  first  Easter 
morning  it  was  discovered  that  the  grave  had  lost  its  oc- 
cupant, and  to  one  after  another  of  the  disciples  Jesus 
appeared.  The  situation,  except  for  one  who  had  ac- 
tually lived  through  it,  was  not  easy  to  portray.  It  de- 
manded more  than  the  setting  forth  of  the  fact  of  the 
resurrection  itself.  It  ought  and  must  give  some  in- 
sight into  the  mental  attitude  of  the  disciples  and  keep 
for  us  a  consistent  presentation  of  the  risen  Lord.  Not- 
withstanding their  variations  in  matters  of  detail,  all  the 

339 


The  Resurrection  The  Messages  of  Jesus 

Gospels  are  not  wanting  in  the  above  respects.  Partic- 
ularly is  this  chapter  in  John  noteworthy  for  its  psycho- 
logical truthfulness.  The  account  of  the  experiences  of 
the  disciples  after  the  resurrection  is  not  complete;  it  is 
not  meant  to  be,  but  in  its  few  scenes  we  have  much  evi- 
dence of  fidelity  to  history.  Note,  for  example,  the  dis- 
tinct individuality  of  the  apostles — Peter,  John,  Thomas, 
Mary  Magdalene;  the  excited  questioning  and  wonder- 
ing in  view  of  the  stupendous  fact  for  which  they  seem 
to  have  been  wholly  unprepared,  since  "as  yet  they 
knew  not  the  Scripture  that  he  must  rise  again  from  the 
dead";  and  at  last  the  joyous,  unshakable  conviction 
when  the  fact  becomes  clear.  Another's  words  are  not 
too  strong  when  he  says  that — "we  have  had  before 
narratives  remarkable  for  beauty  and  for  life-like  mi- 
nuteness of  detail,  but  here  they  reach  their  climax." 
True  to  the  character  of  the  Gospel,  this  chapter  aims 
to  convey  to  us  through  outward  facts  a  revelation  of 
spiritual  truth. 

II 

PETER     AND     JOHN     AT     THE     EMPTY     SEPULCHRE — 
JOHN'S    FAITH    (2o:i-Io) 

The  shadows  of  night  had  hardly  given  place  to  the  gray 
light  of  the  dawn  of  our  Sunday  (the  first  day  of  the  week) 
when  Mary  Magdalene  with  some  other  women  set  out  for 
340 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John    The  Resurrection 

the  sepulchre  to  complete  the  work  of  embalming  left  un-  The  women 
finished  by  reason  of  the  brief  time  remaining  on  Friday.  fomb:they 
They  expected  to  find  the  stone  before  the  sepulchre  and  stone^oikd 
would  seek  help  to  remove  it  in  order  to  accomplish  their  ^^^^  ^^^ 
purpose.     Mary,  somewhat  in  advance  of  the  others,  dis- 
covered to  her  utter  astonishment,  as  she  came  near  to  the 
spot,  that  the  entrance  to  the  tomb  was  open.     She  con- 
cluded at  once  that  the  body  of  the  Lord  had  been  taken 
away,  and  in  her  perplexity  and  anxiety  turned  right  back 
to  go  and  tell  Peter  and  the  beloved  disciple.     Passing  the 
women  she  told  them  what  she  had  seen,  and  they  hurried  on 
to  the  city.     Her  word  to  the  surprised  and  troubled  disci-  Her  word  to 
pies  was,  "They  have  taken  the  Lord  away  from  the  sepul-  (2-4/^"^^^ 
chre  and  we  [the  other  women  and  I]  do  not  know  what 
other  burying-place  they  have  chosen."     Wondering  what 
this  meant,  the  disciples  started  immediately  for  the  tomb. 
As  they  came  near,  they  both  in  their  eagerness  began  to 
run — but  John,  the  younger  man,  outran  Peter  and  reached 
the  sepulchre  first.    Held  by  his  strong  emotions,  John  did  Evidences 
not  enter  the  sepulchre  but,  stooping  down,  looked  through  had  not  been 
the  doorway  and  saw  the  linen  bandages   lying  within,  stolen "5-7) 
Peter,  coming  soon  after,  went  right  into  the  tomb  and 
looked  carefully  at  the  bandages.     He  discovered  the  hand- 
kerchief, which  had  been  tied  under  the  chin  to  keep  the 
mouth  closed,  neatly  folded  and  laid  by  itself.     These  were 
evidences  that  the  body  had  not  been  stolen,  nor  even  that 
it  had  been  taken  by  friends.     In  the  former  case,  the 
341 


The  Resurrection 


The  Messages  of  Jesus 


wrappings  would  have  been  taken  with  the  body;  in  the 
latter,  there  would  have  been  no  reason  why  all  the  care, 
now  manifest,  should  have  been  taken.  Having  stood  in 
the  doorway  all  the  while  Peter  was  within  and  having  dis- 
cussed with  him  the  meaning  of  what  they  saw,  John  now 
entered  the  empty  sepulchre  and  the  truth  flashed  upon 
John's  faith  him.  At  last  he  believed  that  Jesus  had  ^  risen.  The 
empty  grave  and  the  signs  of  deliberate  care  had  made  him 
see  what  Scripture  had  not  been  able  to  teach  him,  even 
though  it  had  said  that  their  Lord  must  rise  from  the  dead. 
Peter  did  not  at  this  time  come  to  such  clear  faith.  It  is 
John's  experience  which  he  wishes  us  here  to  understand. 
Both  disciples,  because  they  could  do  nothing  more  at  the 
sepulchre,  returned  home. 


(8-10) 


III 

Christ's  appearance  to  mary  magdalene 
(20:11-18) 


Maxy  Mag- 
dalene sees 
the  angels 
(11-13) 


Mary  had  followed  Peter  and  John  back  to  the  sepulchre, 
and,  while  they  were  engaged  examining  the  interior  of  the 
tomb,  she  had  stood  without  weeping  in  hopeless  sorrow 
over  the  loss  of  her  Lord's  body.  After  the  disciples  were 
gone  she,  too,  went  to  the  doorway  and  peered  in  to  con- 
vince herself  that  the  tomb  was  really  empty.  To  her 
wondering  gaze  appeared  two  angels  in  glittering  garments, 
342 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  Johi    The  Resurrection 

sitting  the  one  at  the  head  and  the  other  at  the  foot  of  the 
space  in  which  the  body  of  Jesus  had  rested.^  They 
asked  her  why  she  was  weeping,  and  so  absorbed  was  she 
in  her  loss  that  she  answered  them  as  simply  as  if  she  were 
talking  to  the  disciples  or  to  some  of  her  friends:  "Be- 
cause they  have  taken  away  my  Lord  and  I  do  not  know 
where  they  have  laid  him."  Just  then  the  sound  of  a  Mary's  deep 
footstep  or  the  sense  of  a  presence  behind  her  caused  her  to  Christ's  ap- 
turn  quickly  around.  Every  presence  would  but  set  her  (JJ.'^is)^ 
upon  quest  of  the  information  to  which  her  absorbing  sor- 
row urged  her.  At  that  early  hour  no  one  was  more  likely 
to  be  in  the  garden  than  the  garden  keeper,  and  seeing  some 
one  near  her  she  supposed  it  was  he.  In  the  dim  Hght,  her 
tear-filled  eyes  did  not  recognize  Jesus  when  he  asked  her 
why  she  was  weeping  and  whom  she  was  looking  for,  and  so 
she  said,  ''Sir,  if  thou  and  not  his  enemies  took  him  away, 
tell  me  where  you  have  placed  him.  I  will  reHeve  you  of  all 
inconvenience  about  the  body  by  taking  it  away  myself." 

1  Criticism  has  found  considerable  difficulty  with  this  incident  of  the  angels. 
They  are  nowhere  else  mentioned  in  the  gospel  except  figuratively  in  i :  52  and 
in  the  citation  of  rumor  (i  2 :  59) .  It  is  also  to  be  noted  that  in  this  instance  they 
serve  no  distinct  purpose  in  the  ongoing  of  the  story.  Mary  pays  little  atten- 
tion to  their  question.  On  the  contrary  the  simplicity  of  the  narrative  is  in  its 
favor.  Is  the  incident  a  presentation  in  the  form  of  the  supernatural  of  a 
natural  occurrence  such,  e.  g.,  as  the  mistaking  of  the  white  garments  and  the 
echo  in  Mary's  imagination  of  the  question  of  the  Lord  (vs.  15),  or  was  it  an 
actual  happening?  There  will  probably  be  a  difference  of  judgment  in  accord 
vdth  the  general  view  of  the  supernatural  on  the  part  of  the  interpreter.  Jesus 
himself  believed  in  angels  and  there  is  no  inherent  impossibility  of  their 
manifestation  at  this  time. 

343 


The  Resurrection  The  Messages  of  Jesus 

Without  waiting  seemingly  for  an  answer  she  turned  back 

toward  the  sepulchre,  when  Jesus  called  her  by  name.     At 

the  sound  she  turned  quickly  to  search  him  with  her  gaze. 

She  recog-     Surprise,  recognition,  joy  are  all  heard  in  her  exclamation, 

mzes  esus    <<j^abboni!"  (i.  e.,  My  Master!)  as  she  cast  herself  at  his 

feet  seeking  to  clasp  them.     Once  more  she  had  her  Lord 

and  she  would  hold  him  to  enjoy  the  fellowship  which 

"Do  not       death  had  rudely  interrupted.     This  could  not  be,  and  so 

(17)  Jesus  bids  her  not  to  cling  to  him.     The  fellowship  for 

which  she  longed  could  not  come  until  he  had  ascended  to 

the  Father.     Then  in  spiritual  communion  she  should  have 

a  realization  of  his  presence  worth  far  more  than  that  which 

His  message  could  come  in  earthly  form,    *'  Go  and  tell  my  brothers,"  he 

pies  (17, 18)  said  to  her,  "that  I  am  about  to  ascend  to  my  Father  and  to 

your  Father,  to  my  God  and  to  your  God;  that  they,  in  the 

new  state  into  which  I  am  about  to  enter,  shall  be  one  with 

me."     Without  delay  Mary  went  and  told  the  disciples  that 

she  had  seen  the  Lord,  and  gave  them  the  message  which  he 

had  sent  to  them. 

IV 

THE   APPEARANCE   TO   THE   DISCIPLES,  THOMAS  BEING 

ABSENT    (20:19-23) 

The  next  appearance  of  the  risen  Lord  which  John 
records  was  late  on  Sunday  evening  and  at  Jerusalem. 
The  news  of  the  resurrection  had  begun  to  spread  abroad, 
344 


According  to  the  Gospel  of/o/m   The  Resurrection 

and  the  disciples  were  not  certain  as  to  what  course  the 
authorities  would  pursue  with  reference  to  them. 

They,  apostles  and  others,  had,  therefore,  all  gathered  in  Jesus  Sud- 
an upper  room  and  carefully  locked  the  doors.     Here  they  pears  in  their 
were  probably  talking  about  the  wonderful  events  of  the  ""  ^    ^^ 
day,  when  suddenly  Jesus  stood  in  the  midst  and  said  to 
them,  "Peace  be  with  you."     The  impression  which  the 
account  gives  is  that  he  entered  the  room  miraculously,  and 
this  feature  corresponds  with  a  number  of  others  given  us 
by  the  Gospels,  all  going  to  show  that  after  the  resurrection 
Jesus  was  not  subject  to  the  ordinary  limitations  of  space 
and  time.     Notwithstanding  his  salutation,  they  were  ter- 
rified at  this  sudden  apparition,  thinking  they  saw  a  spirit. 
It  was  to  quiet  this  alarm  by  convincing  them  of  his  identity  Jesus  quiets 
that  Jesus  showed  them  his  hands  and  his  side.     As  they  showing  his 
recognized  the  unmistakable  marks  of  the  cross  and  real-  side  (20° 
ized  that  their  Lord  was  actually  with  them  again,  their 
fear  gave  place  to  the  fullest  joy.     He  now  repeated  his  sig- 
nificant salutation  to  them,  "Peace  be  unto  you,"   and  at 
the  same  time  he  conferred  upon  them  the  office  and  gift  of 
ministry  as  his  representatives.     As  the  Father  made  me  an  He  commis- 

...  1  .  1  •  •     •  T  1    sions  them 

apostle,  givmg  to  me  an  abidmg  mission,  so  now  I  am  send-  (21) 
ing  you  forth  to  help  me  in  its  execution;  to  be  my  ministers. 
Then,  by  the  symbolical  act  of  breathing  upon  them,  he 
imparted  to  them  that  gift  of  the  Holy  Spirit  which  served 
to  make  them  sure  of  his  glorified  condition;  to  quicken 
their  faith  in  view  of  his  resurrection.  In  his  resurrection 
345 


The  Resurrection  The  Messages  of  Jesus 

they  could  thus  find  the  surety  of  the  forgiveness  of  sins  for 
all  who  would  come  into  fellowship  with  him ;  hence,  forever 
associated  with  this  presence  of  the  Spirit  was  to  be  that 
power  which  he  now  promised  the  Church  should  have  of 
declaring  the  conditions  on  which  forgiveness  is  granted 
and  the  fact  that  it  has  or  has  not  been  granted. 


THE   APPEARANCE   TO   THE   DISCIPLES,  THOMAS  BEING 
PRESENT    (20:24-29) 

On  that  evening  when  the  above  words  were  spoken 
Thomas,  one  of  the  twelve,  known  also  as  Didymus,  was  not 
with  the  disciples.     Accordingly,  when  they  first  met  him, 
they  gave  him  an  account  of  all  that  occurred,  of  the  sudden 
apparition,  of  their  fear,  of  Christ's  gracious  invitation  to 
examine  his  hands  and  side,  and  of  their  joy  in  seeing  their 
Thomas        Lord.     Thomas,  naturally  pessimistic,  listened  with  in- 
(2°4, 25)         creduHty.     He  knew  that  his  companions  were  honest  men, 
but  he  was  afraid  they  had  been  victims  of  some  hallucina- 
tion.    He  must  himself  see  with  his  own  eyes  before  he 
could  believe.     Unless  7,  too,  see  in  his  hands  the  prints  of 
the  nail,  put  my  finger  upon  those  nail-prints,  and  put  my 
Character  of  hand  into  his  side,  I  will  not  believe.     The  whole  form  of 
his  doubt      ^^^  condition  shows  that  Thomas's  doubt  was  bom  of  the 

346 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John   The  Resurrection 

reason  and  not  of  the  will.     He  was  ready  to  believe  upon 
what  seemed  to  him  adequate  evidence. 

To  such  doubt  Jesus  was  ever  ready  to  give  patient 
hearing  and  help.     On  the  following  Sunday  the  disciples 
were  all  together  again  in  an  upper  room,  Thomas  being 
with  them  this  time.     As  on  the  previous  occasion  the  doors  Again  Jesus 
had  been  carefully  closed,  and  as  before  Jesus  suddenly  deffi^and"  " 
stood  in  the  midst  of  the  little  group  and  saluted  them,  Thomar 
"Peace  be  with  you."     Knowing  all  that  had  passed  be- ^^^' ^^^ 
tween  Thomas  and  the  apostles,  and  appreciating  the  dif- 
ficulty of  the  doubting  disciple  he  said  to  him,  "Thomas, 
reach  hither  your  finger  and  touch  my  hands  and  put  your 
hand  upon  my  side.     Do  not  allow  yourself  to  become 
worthless  by  settling  down  into  a  condition  of  unbelief,  but 
become  a  believer."    The  test  which  Thomas  himself  had 
proposed  he  had  no  need  of.     The  very  sight  of  the  Lord  Thomas  joy- 
with  his  pierced  hands  and  the  proof  of  omniscience  which  ("sj 
the  reading  of  his  heart  and  thoughts  had  given  him, 
brought  back  his  faith  with  a  bound  and  he  broke  forth  into 
the  confession,  "My  Lord  and  my  God."     With  this  ex- 
alted conclusion  of  love  and  reason  this  gospel  virtually 
closes. 

It  ends  where  it  began,  in  setting  forth  the  divine  nature  The  book 
and  character  of  him  who  is  the  Saviour  of  men.     "In  the  began^  ^^^^ 
beginning  was  the  word  and  the  word  was  with  God  and  the 
word  was  God."     "My  Lord  and  my  God." 

Speaking  to  Thomas  after  his  confession  Jesus  said, 

347 


The  Resurrection 


A  blessing     You,  Thomas,  have  believed  because  your  senses  have  had 

XThavlSot  evidence  of  my  resurrection.     "Blessed  are  they  who  have 

seen  (29)       ^^^  ^^^^  ^^^  y^^  j^^^^g  believed  in  the  testimony  of  others," 

a  beatitude  resting  upon  the  Church  of  all  ages  and  climes. 


VI 

CONCLUSION   AND   PURPOSE    OF    THE   GOSPEL 
(20:30,  31) 

Nature  and  This  book  is  not  a  complete  record  of  the  sayings  and  do- 
E^g°ospef  ings  of  Jesus.  It  is  a  gospel,  not  a  biography.  It  is  in- 
deed true  that  Jesus  wrought  many  other  signs,  indications 
of  his  divine  nature  and  mission,  in  the  presence  of  his  dis- 
ciples, which  are  not  recorded  in  this  book.  It  contains 
rather  a  selection  of  events  with  a  twofold  object:  (i)  that 
the  reader  may  believe  that  Jesus  is  the  Messiah,  the  Son 
of  God,  that  is,  the  fulfiUer  both  of  the  promises  to  Israel 
and  of  the  destiny  of  mankind;  and  (2)  that  in  virtue  of  such 
faith  he  may  have  divine,  enduring  life  in  fellowship  with 
him. 


(30. 31) 


348 


THE    EPILOGUE 

Chapter  21 


THE    EPILOGUE 


Introductory 


Two  questions  present  themselves  regarding  this 
chapter  and  they  have  been  much  discussed.  (1)  Is  it 
really  an  epilogue  or  an  appendix  ?  (2)  By  whom  was 
it  written  ?  In  answering  the  first,  opinion  is  far  more 
nearly  unanimous  than  in  its  answers  to  the  second.  The 
formal  closing  of  the  Gospel  at  20 :  30,  31  and  the  gen- 
eral character  of  this  section  seem  suflBcient  to  establish 
the  conclusion  that  we  have  here  a  chapter  written 
after  the  Gospel  narrative  itself  was  finished  and  yet 
published  with  the  Gospel  for  a  specific  purpose.  It  is 
to  be  noted  that  while  the  appearance  of  Jesus  here  re- 
corded is  the  third  to  the  disciples  (see  20 :  19  and  20 :  26) 
its  interest  centres  not  in  the  begetting  or  confirmation  of 
their  faith  but  in  the  work  and  future  of  two  of  their 
number.  Out  of  the  words  of  Jesus  about  the  evan- 
gelist a  serious  misunderstanding  had  arisen.  The  re- 
port had  become  current  that  John  would  not  die.  It  is 
to  correct  this  that  the  epilogue  is  written.     In  order  to 

351 


The  Epilogue  The  Messages  of  Jesus 

do  it  the  circumstances  are  given  in  which  Jesus  was 
led  to  speak  of  John's  future.  There  are  some  minor 
points  in  the  style  of  the  section,  a  few  unusual 
words,  which  have  been  used  to  prove  a  different  au- 
thorship. They  are,  however,  so  far  overbalanced  by 
similarities  to  the  style  of  the  Gospels  as  to  give  them 
really  little  worth.  Verses  24,  25  are  undoubtedly  not 
from  the  same  hand  as  the  rest  of  the  chapter.  The  re- 
maining verses  show  marked  Johannine  characteristics. 
There  is  the  same  minuteness  of  description  and  fidelity 
to  place  and  person.  There  is  also  a  like  psychological 
truthfulness  to  that  apparent  again  and  again  in  the 
Gospel. 

II 

THE    EPISODE    AT    THE    SEA    OF    TIBERIAS    (21:1-23) 

The  disciples      After  the  resurrcction  the  disciples  had  remained  a  week 

had  returned  .      ^  ,  .  ^\        t       i  •  i  n 

to  Gahiee  m  Jerusalem  (20  :  20).  In  that  time  they  all  came  to  a  sure, 
glad  conviction  regarding  the  fact  of  their  Master's  reap- 
pearance. They  had  now  returned  to  Galilee  to  wait  for 
definite  instructions.  While  waiting,  the  Lord  manifested 
himself  again  to  them  and  in  the  following  way:  Seven  of 
the  disciples  (Peter,  Thomas,  Nathanael  of  Cana,  James, 
John  and  two  others,  unknown),  living  in  the  same  neigh- 
borhood, were  together  one  day  upon  the  shore  of  the  Sea 
352 


(1-3) 


According  to  the   Gospel  of  John      The  Epilogue 

of  Tiberias.  Whether  b(  :ause  of  some  uneasiness  from 
lengthened  waiting  or  from  some  necessity,  the  proposal  of 
Peter  that  they  take  up  again  the  old  business  of  fishing  met 
with  hearty  assent.  Securing  a  boat  they  embarked  at 
nightfall  and  spent  that  entire  night  upon  the  lake  in  fruit- 
less trial.     In  the  early  dawn  of  the  morning  Jesus  stood  Jesus  ap- 

1         1  1  1        1  •      •    1  11'         r       ^  •  pears  upon 

upon  the  shore,  but  the  disciples,  not  looking  for  him  at  the  lake 
such  a  time  and  more  or  less  preoccupied  with  their  duties,  ^  ^^^  '^ 
did  not  recognize  him.  Jesus,  appearing  as  an  intending 
purchaser,  said,  "Lads,  have  you  taken  no  fish?"  "No," 
they  answered.  "Cast  your  net  on  the  right  side,"  he  di- 
rected, "and  you  will  have  success."  Thinking  that  from 
the  shore  he  had  seen  some  signs  of  fish,  they  followed  his 
directions,  and  their  net  became  so  full  that  they  had  not 
strength  to  draw  it  into  the  boat. 

It  was  John  who  first  guessed  the  real  meaning  of  this  John 

.  .  ,       r     1  •   1    ,  11         XT  guesses  who 

surprising  reversal  of  the  nights  poor  luck.  JNo  pass- the  stranger 
ing  stranger  up  the  beach  had  brought  such  good  for-  *^  ^ 
tune  to  them.  It  was  the  Lord.  He  said  this  to  Peter, 
who  no  sooner  heard  it,  than  he,  having  with  instinctive 
reverence  fastened  on  his  fisher's  coat  (he  was  wearing 
only  a  loin-cloth),  plunged  into  the  lake  to  go  to  the  shore. 
The  other  disciples  followed  in  the  boat,  dragging  behind 
the  net  with  its  fish,  for  the  distance  from  shore  was  not 
more  than  about  one  hundred  yards.     As  they  disem-  As  they 

•'  •'  land,  they 

barked  they  saw,  with  some  surprise,  a  fire  of  coals  upon  the  see  a  fire  of 
beach  and  on  the  fire  fish  and  bread.     These  had  been  in  beach  (9) 
353 


The  Epilogue 


The  Messages  of  Jesus 


awe  they 
held  back 
(10-14) 


some  way  prepared  by  the  Lord  (not  necessarily  by  miracle), 
and  he  was  intending  to  have  the  disciples  breakfast  with 
him.  For  this  reason  he  bade  them  add  to  his  scanty  supply 
from  the  catch  which  they  had  in  their  net.  Peter  went 
on  board  to  get  the  fish  and  drew  up  the  crowded  net  to 
the  shore.  It  was  found  to  have  in  it  one  hundred  and 
fifty-three  fish — a  number  that  in  the  circumstances  fixed 
itself  upon  the  mind  of  the  evangelist.  A  surprising  fact, 
too,  was  that  despite  such  a  heavy  load,  the  net  was  in  no 
Jesus  in-  way  broken.  While  they  were  counting  the  fish,  the  extra 
breakfast?  in  Supply  upon  the  fire  became  ready  and  Jesus  invited  them 
all  to  breakfast  with  him.  In  awe  the  disciples  held  back. 
They  knew  it  was  the  Lord;  reverence  restrained  them  from 
asking  curious  questions.  Jesus  therefore  came  forward, 
took  of  the  bread  and  fish  and  gave  them  each.  The  evan- 
gelist speaks  of  this  manifestation  of  Jesus  to  the  disciples 
as  the  third.  He  is  probably  counting  it  in  connection  with 
the  two  appearances  of  which  he  has  given  an  account  in 
19-23,  26-29. 

Nothing  is  said  here  of  the  faith  of  the  disciples;  the  scene 
is  apparently  an  introduction  to  what  follows  and  so  the 
narrative  proceeds  to  relate  the  conversation  which  took 
place  after  breakfast  was  over.  Jesus  then  turned  to  Simon 
Peter  and  said :  * '  Simon,  son  of  John,  do  you  love  me  more 
than  these,  thy  fellow-disciples,  love  me?  The  question 
was  intended  to  call  to  mind  the  protestations  which  he  had 
made  before  his  sad  denial,  when  he  said,  **If  all  shall  be 
354 


Christ's  con- 
versation 
with  Peter 
(15-19) 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John      The  Epilogue 

offended  in  thee,  I  will  never  be  offended"  (Matt.  26:  33). 
"I  will  lay  down  my  Ufe  for  thee  "  (13: 37).  The  reply  of 
the  repentant  Peter  shows  how  his  experience  had  humbled 
him;  it  makes  no  claim  to  superior  affection.  "Yes,  Lord, 
thou  knowest  that  I  love  thee.  Such  love  as  I  may  dare  in 
my  humility  to  offer  thee,  is,  indeed,  thine."  ''Then,"  said 
Jesus,  "I  entrust  to  your  love  the  care  of  those  loving  me 
who  especially  need  care — the  lambs  of  my  flock.  Do  you, 
as  an  undershepherd,  see  to  it,  that  they  have  proper  and 
sufficient  food."  Leaving  now  all  others  out  of  the  com- 
parison, Jesus  again  asked,  **Are  you  sure  that  love  and 
nothing  but  love  is  the  bond  between  you  and  me? "(Bruce.) 
*'Yes,  Lord,  thou  knowest  that  I  love  thee."  "Be  then," 
said  Jesus,  "a  careful  shepherd  of  my  sheep — guiding  and 
feeding  and  protecting  them."  Then  Jesus  asked  him  the 
same  question  a  third  time,  there  being  evidently  in  his 
mind  the  purpose  of  reminding  Peter  of  his  threefold  denial. 
Peter  was  grieved  by  the  doubt  implied,  but  he  knew  he 
had  given  just  cause  for  it,  and  so  in  eager  earnestness  he 
offered  his  heart  to  the  gaze  of  Omniscience.  "Thou  know- 
est all  things.  Lord,  thou  seest  that  I  love  thee."  Again 
Jesus  gave  him  the  commission  of  shepherding  his  flock, 
and  then,  in  solemn  prophecy,  let  him  know  that  the  time 
would  come  when  he  would  unfalteringly  prove  his  love, 
even  as  once  rashly  he  had  boasted  he  would,  by  suffering 
and  death. 

"In  the  vigor  of  your  present  manhood,"  said  Jesus,  "you 

355 


The  Epilogue  The  Messages  of  Jesus 

Theproph-    are  accustomed  to  gird  yourself,  as  you  just  now  did  in 

ecy  of  Peter's  ,         •       ,i      ,        ,  ,  m,  ,         ,  , 

martyrdom    leaving  the  Doat,  and  your  will  has  been  your  law,  but  when 
^  '  ^^^         you  shall  have  grown  old  you  will  helplessly  lift  your  hands 
while  another  girds  you  and  takes  you  whither  you  would 
not  go,"    In  this  way  Jesus  pointed  out  to  him  that  martyr- 
dom by  which  he  would  at  last  glorify  God. 
Peter's  ques-      Having  Said  this,  Jesus  withdrew  from  the  little  company 
"the disci-     and  bade  Peter  "follow  him."     They  had  not  gone  far 
Jesus  loved"  when,  hearing  steps  behind  them,  Peter  turned  and  saw 
20, 21;         John  coming.     The  description  of  this  disciple  as  the  one 
whom  Jesus  loved,  who  had  the  honored  place  by  his 
Master  at  the  supper,  and  who,  in  confidence,  learned  the 
name  of  the  betrayer,  is  all  in  order  to  justify  his  following 
without  invitation.     He  felt  sure  that  Jesus  had  nothing  to 
keep  secret  from  him.     Peter  and  John  were  close  friends 
and  it  was  but  a  natural  sympathetic  interest  which  led 
Peter,  so  well  aware  now  of  his  own  fate,  to  ask  what  was 
The  curios-    in  reserve  for  his  friend.     The  question  was  displeasing  to 
rebuked  (22)  Jesus,  and  he  quietly  rebuked  him  by  telling  him  that  it  was 
beyond  his  promise  to  seek  to  know  the  future  of  another 
disciple.     If  I  will  that  he  abide  until  I  come,  what  is  that 
to  thee?     Your  single  and  only  duty  is  to  follow  me.     The 
import  of  this  answer  was  soon  misunderstood,  for  the  re- 
port gained  currency  that  John  was  not  to  die.     The  mis- 
understanding arose  from  the  form  of  Christ's  reply  to 
Peter,  which  was  not  "that  he  shall  not  die,"  but  "If  I  will 
that  he  remain  until  I  come,  what  is  that  to  thee?" 

356 


According  to  the  Gospel  of  John      The  Epilogue 

Because  of  the  wrong  conclusion  taken  from  these  words, 
the  death  of  John  caused  offence,  since  it  was  declared  that 
Jesus's  prediction  had  not  been  fulfilled.  This  appendix  to 
the  Gospel  was  written  to  correct  this  mistake. 


Ill 

CONCLUDING   WORDS    (21:24,  25) 

As  in  the  case  of  the  Appendix,  so  here  the  authorship 
of  these  few  closing  words  must  be  decided  from  internal 
evidence.  This  points  in  the  case  of  verse  24  to  the  tes- 
timony of  a  plurality  of  persons,  and  in  verse  25  to  a  single 
individual's  estimate.  The  "we"  in  24  refers  to  those 
who  had  hved  in  fellowship  with  the  Apostle  and  whose 
authority  was  suflficient  to  give  value  to  their  witness  to 
the  trustworthiness  of  the  Apostle's  record.  The  sup- 
position that  they  were  the  Ephesian  Elders  is  not  with- 
out reason.  This  statement  is  their  certificate  to  the 
authorship  and  truthfulness  of  the  Gospel. ^  Verse  25 
is  by  a  third  hand ;  it  may  have  been  from  one  of  the 
group  referred  to  by  the  "  we  "  of  verse  24. 

As  this  account  (both  Gospel  and  Appendix)  goes  forth 
to  the  world,  we,  who  have  known  the  Apostle  personally 
and  have  found  him  truthful  and  holy  in  all  his  conduct, 

1  It  really  ranks  as  part  of  the  external  evidence  for  the  Gospel. 

357 


The  Epilogue 

wish  to  testify  to  the  fact  that  he,  in  addition  to  bearing  wit- 
ness among  us  concerning  these  things,  has  also  written 
them  down  in  his  book,  and  we  know  that  his  testimony  is 
true. 

To  which  general  testimony  let  me  add  this,  that  this  nar- 
rative, while  it  is  true,  is  but  a  portion  of  the  truth,  for  Jesus 
did  many  things  besides  those  here  recorded,  indeed,  so 
many  that  if  they  should  in  each  detail  be  written  down,  I 
think  the  world  could  not  contain  the  books  that  should  be 
written.  The  depth  and  fulness  of  the  life  of  the  Son  of 
God  are  practically  inexhaustible. 


3S8 


APPENDIX 


APPENDIX 
I 

THE  NARRATIVE  OF  THE  WOMAN  TAKEN  IN  ADULTERY 
(7:53-8:11) 

The  general  verdict  of  criticism  is  that  this  section 
was  not  a  part  of  the  original  Gospel  of  John.  The  rea- 
sons given  for  this  judgment  are : 

(1)  That  it  has  no  claim  to  acceptance  on  documen- 
tary grounds. 

(2)  That  it  is  not  in  the  style  of  John  but  shows  char- 
acteristics of  the  Synoptics. 

(3)  That  it  in  no  way  fits  into  the  context  in  which 
it  is  placed. 

It  is  not  necessary  to  write  out  here  a  list  of  the  early 
documents  in  which  this  passage  does  not  appear.  These 
are  given  in  the  second  volume  of  Westcott  and  Hort's 
Greek  Text  (Harper's  Edition).  The  best  uncial  MSS. 
do  not  contain  it  nor  is  it  found  in  any  of  the  ancient 
versions.  "In  the  whole  range  of  Greek  patristic 
literature  before  Centuries  Ten  or  Twelve,  there  is 
but  one  trace  of  any  knowledge  of  its  existence, 
namely,  the  reference  to  it  in  the  Apostolic  Consti- 
tution, without,  however,  any  indication  of  the  book 
361 


Appendix 

from  which  it  Is  quoted"  (Hort).  While  absent  from 
the  earhest  Latin  texts  the  section  appeared  in  Latin 
Gospels  of  the  fourth  century.  Dr.  Hort  concludes 
that  it  first  came  into  John's  Gospel  as  an  insertion 
into  a  comparatively  late  Western  text,  having  ori- 
ginally belonged  to  an  extraneous  independent  source 
(Greek  Text,  Vol.  II.,  p.  88).  It  may  at  first  have 
stood  at  the  end  of  the  Gospel  and  later  have  been  trans- 
ferred to  its  present  position.  The  conjectural  reason 
for  this  position  is  that  it  recounts  an  unsuccessful  at- 
tack upon  Jesus  and  illustrates  the  statement  of  8:15. 
The  scene  has  all  the  marks  of  verisimihtude  and 
probably  comes  from  Passion  Week.  Note  the  opening 
statement:  "Jesus  went  unto  the  Mount  of  OHves  and 
early  in  the  morning  he  came  again  into  the  temple" 
(8:1,2);  also  the  temptation  by  which  a  specific  change 
was  sought.  This  is  like  the  efforts  made  in  the  last 
days  to  entrap  him  (see  Mk.  12:12-27).  In  addition 
to  its  irrelevancy  to  the  context,  there  are  also  decided 
marks,  both  in  vocabulary  and  tone,  which  show  that, 
worthy  as  the  incident  is,  it  is  not  an  integral  part  of 
John's  Gospel.  It  is  best  therefore  to  present  it  in  an 
appendix.  The  severance  of  the  section  from  its  proper 
context  makes  the  reference  of  its  opening  words,  "and 
they  went  to  his  house,"  quite  obscure.  It  is  best  to 
leave  them  as  they  stand  without  attempting  any  specific 
reference. 

362 


Appendix 

And  every  one  went  to  his  own  home;  but  Jesus,  as  was  The  Scribes 
his  custom  during  Passion  Week,  went  to  the  Mount  of  sees  bring 
Olives  to  spend  the  night  (Lk.  21 :  37).     Early  in  the  morn-  woman\o 
ing  he  was  again  in  the  temple  and  all  the  people  gathered  J^^"^  ^^'  ^^ 
around  him.     As  he  sat  teaching  them,  the  Scribes  and 
Pharisees,  his  determined  opponents,  brought  a  woman 
taken  in  the  act  of  adultery,  and  forcing  her,  regardless  of 
the  shame  of  discovery,  to  stand  before  him  in  the  midst  of 
the  crowd,  they  told  him  that  she  had  been  caught  in  the 
very  act.     Judging  from  the  form  of  punishment  referred 
to,  the  culprit  must  have  been  a  betrothed  bride,  since  only 
such  were  condemned  by  the  law  of  Moses  to  be  stoned  to 
death  (Deut.  22:  23).     In  this  severe  condemnation  of  the  They  ask 
law  lay  the  means  for  "tempting"  him.     "What  is  your  judgment  in 
judgment  in  the  case?"  they  asked,  feeling  pretty  sure  that,  (siaaf 
in  accordance  with  the  compassionate  attitude  which  he 
had  often  shown  toward  sinners,  he  would  in  some  way 
show  mercy  and  thus  be  open  to  the  charge  of  denying  the 
supremacy  of  the  law.     To  their  question  Jesus  made  no  Jesus  at  first 
reply;  indeed,  he  indicated  his  unwillingness  to  have  any-  piy  (6b) 
thing  to  say  in  regard  to  the  law,  by  stooping  over  and  writ- 
ing with  his  finger  upon  the  ground.     They,  however,  per- 
sisted with  their  question,  and  Jesus,  raising  himself,  said  to 
them,  "You  have  constituted  yourselves  accusers  of  this 
woman  and  witnesses  against  her.     Is  your  haste  to  have  His  test 

.     ,  ..111  f  1  sends  the  ac- 

judgment  visited  upon  her  because  of  your  own  moral  com-  cuserssi- 
petency?     Are  you,  yourselves,  so  free  from  sin  that  you  1^1^^^^^^ 


Appendix 

may  be  eager  to  uncover  the  sins  of  others  ?  Let  him  that 
is  without  sin  cast  the  first  stone  at  her."  Thus  without 
impugning  the  law  did  Jesus  disarm  these  self-righteous 
judges.  The  whole  scene  is  an  application  of  his  word, 
**Judge  not  that  ye  be  not  judged." 
Hedis-  When  he  had  spoken  he  again  stooped  down  and  wrote 

woman  upon  the  ground.  Conscience -stricken,  they  slipped  away 
during  the  painful  silence,  the  older  and  more  thoughtful 
going  first.  Only  the  wretched  woman  remained  waiting 
before  him.  When  Jesus  again  raised  his  head  he  asked 
her  what  had  become  of  her  accusers.  "Has  no  one  passed 
sentence  upon  thee?  Has  no  one  said  that  you  should  be 
stoned?"  *'No  one,"  she  answered.  ''Neither  do  I/'  said 
Jesus.  ''Such  judgment  I  am  not  called  to  make;  go  your 
way  and  from  now  on  sin  no  more." 


II 

BOOKS   OF   REFERENCE 

The  literature  upon  the  Fourth  Gospel  constitutes  a 
library  in  itself.  The  critical  importance  of  the  book  as 
a  source  of  our  knowledge  of  Jesus  has  made  it  the  subject 
of  ceaseless  study  and  discussion.  From  many  of  the  more 
recent  works  the  following  selection  is  pffered  as  helpful 
to  the  ordinary  reader,  on  one  side,  in  familiarizing  him 
364 


Appendix 

with  the  treatment  of  questions  regarding  the  Gospel's 
origin  and  historical  worth,  and,  on  the  other,  with  its  plan 
and  thought. 

The  mere  reading  of  books  about  the  Gospel  will  do  little 
more  than  give  one  opinions.  No  book  of  the  New  Testa- 
ment more  fully  requires  sympathetic  study  in  order  to  come 
to  a  just  appreciation  of  its  value.  From  such  a  study  one 
rises  with  an  exalted  conception  of  the  Master  which  con- 
tains its  own  arguments  for  the  trustworthiness  of  the 
book. 

It  were  well  if  all  questions  of  Introduction  could  be 
reserved  until  one  had  in  earnest  thoughtfulness  gone 
through  the  Gospel  with  the  help  of  some  interpreter  of 
spiritual  insight.  In  the  order  of  recommendation,  there- 
fore, we  shall  consider  first  commentaries  which  are  ser- 
viceable to  this  end.  Westcott's  "The  Gospel  According 
to  John,"  reprinted  from  the  Speaker's  Commentary  (Lon- 
don, John  Murray,  1882),  is  notable  for  its  penetrating  in- 
sight and  concise  expression.  In  few  words,  it  opens  up 
with  remarkable  clearness  the  meaning  of  the  text.  Go- 
det's  "Commentary  on  St.  John's  Gospel"  (T.  &  T.  Clark, 
1887)  is  fuller  in  treatment  and  is  marked  by  lucidity  of 
style,  clearness  in  interpretation,  and  earnest  support  of  the 
evangelical  conception  of  the  Gospel.  A  still  fuller  treat- 
ment, though  somewhat  diffuse,  but  one  which  admirably 
reflects  the  spirit  of  the  Gospel,  is  found  in  Reynolds'  "St. 
John"  in  the  Pulpit  Commentary.     This  work  is  the  an- 

365 


Appendix 

tithesis  of  the  concise  interpretation  of  Westcott,  but  for 
this  very  reason  it  may  be  to  some  readers  more  helpful. 
It  is  scholarly,  devout,  and  comprehensive.  So  also  is  the 
interpretation  of  Dr.  Dods,  found  in  the  Expositor's  Greek 
Testament  (Dodd,  Mead  &  Co.,  1897).  For  those  who 
wish  Dr.  Dods'  explanations  without  reference  to  the  Greek 
the  volumes  on  John  in  the  Expositor's  Bible  (A.  C.  Arm- 
strong, 1892)  will  prove  helpful.  It  is  unfortunate  that 
Weiss'  "Evangelium  des  Johannes"  (Gottingen,  1892, 
9th  edition)  has  not  been  translated  into  English,  but  those 
who  can  use  the  German  will  find  it  devout,  discriminating, 
and  weighty  in  its  judgments.  Especially  are  its  "An- 
merkungen"  worthy  of  careful  attention.  Luthardt's 
"Commentary  on  the  Gospel "  will  be  found  of  value.  The 
multiplication  of  commentaries  has  in  it,  however,  no  real 
gain;  any  one  of  those  above  cited  will  give  sufficient  help 
to  one  who  is  himself  really  studying  the  Gospel.  If  a 
commentary  is  desired  which  handles  the  Gospel  critically 
and  carefully,  yet  from  the  negative  point  of  view,  it  will 
be  found  in  H.  J.  Holtzmann's  "Das  Evangelium  des  Jo- 
hannes," one  of  the  volumes  of  the  "Hand-Commentar 
zum  Neuen  Testament"  (Leipsic,  1893). 

For  the  study  of  the  doctrine  of  the  epistle  Stevens'  "The 
Johannine  Theology"  (Charles  Scribner's  Sons,  1894) 
commends  itself  because  of  its  effort  to  estimate  any  given 
teaching  through  a  careful,  sane  exegesis  of  the  passages 
upon  which  the  doctrine  rests.  Dr.  Ritchie  Smith's  "The 
366 


Appendix 

Teaching  of  the  Gospel  of  John"  (F.  H.  Revell  Company, 
1903)  is  written  from  the  strictly  conservative  point  of 
view.  It  covers  more  than  the  Gospel  in  its  explication  of 
given  doctrines,  but  is  full  and  clear  upon  the  portions  of 
John  involved  in  the  consideration  of  each  doctrine.  Val- 
uable help  may  also  be  obtained  from  the  New-Testament 
theologies  of  Weiss  and  Beyschlag;  also  from  Wendt's 
"Teaching  of  Jesus"  (Charles  Scribner's  Sons,  1892), 
though  in  the  case  of  this  last  work  it  is  necessary  before 
using  it  to  get  clearly  the  author's  critical  estimate  of  the 
character  of  the  Gospel  as  a  source  of  the  teaching.  This 
will  be  found  in  the  Introduction,  pages  22-28. 

A  recent  work  written  from  the  negative  point  of  view, 
but  in  its  handling  of  the  teaching  of  the  Gospel  suggestive 
and  able,  is  E,  A.  Scott's  "The  Fourth  Gospel:  Its  Purpose 
and  Theology"  (T.   &  T.  Clark,  1906). 

Notable  both  for  their  treatment  of  all  critical  questions 
concerning  the  Gospel  and  for  a  setting  forth  of  the  doc- 
trine of  the  Gospel  itself,  are  the  articles  in  Hastings' 
Bible  Dictionary,  Vol.  II.,  pp.  694-728,  and  in  the  Diction- 
ary of  Christ  and  the  Gospels,  Vol.  I.,  pp.  869-895.  A 
helpful  exposition  of  chapters  13-17  is  contained  in  T.  D. 
Bernhard's  "The  Central  Teaching  of  Jesus  Christ" 
(Macmillan  &  Co.,  1892);  and  especial  themes  are  treated 
in  Hare's  "The  Mission  of  the  Comforter"  (Boston,  1854), 
and  Westcott's  "The  Revelation  of  the  Father,"  short  lec- 
tures on  the  titles  of  the  Lord  in  the  Gospel  of  St.  John. 
367 


Appendix 

Since  Evanson  in  1792  made  his  attack  upon  the  Gospel 
and  declared  that  it  came  from  the  pen  of  a  Platonist  of 
the  second  century,  a  constant  discussion  has  been  kept 
up  regarding  the  genuineness  and  authenticity  of  the  book. 
In  this  discussion  the  Germans  have  taken  a  large  part, 
and  a  valuable  bibliography  of  the  discussion  will  be  found 
in  Luthardt's  "St.  John,  the  Author  of  the  Fourth  Gos- 
pel," which  can  be  supplemented  from  the  references  to 
the  literature  found  at  the  end  of  the  Bible  Dictionary 
articles  referred  to  above. 

In  all  the  commentaries  already  suggested  extended 
consideration  is  given  to  the  questions  of  authorship  and 
historical  value.  The  following  works  will  be  found  suf- 
ficient for  the  purposes  of  the  general  reader.  On  the  con- 
servative side:  Sanday's  ''Authorship  and  Historical  Char- 
acter of  the  Fourth  Gospel"  (Macmillan  &  Co.,  1872), 
and  his  more  recent  work,  "The  Criticism  of  the  Fourth 
Gospel"  (Charles  Scribner's  Sons,  1905).  This  latter  re- 
views and  estimates  recent  theories  and  is  marked  by 
Professor  Sanday's  usual  caution,  fairness,  and  sanity. 
Drummond's  "Character  and  Authorship  of  the  Fourth 
Gospel"  (Charles  Scribner's  Sons,  1904).  This  contains 
a  careful  and  judicial  discussion  of  the  external  evidence 
and  is  the  more  weighty  because  of  the  theological  position 
of  the  writer.  Stanton's  "Gospels  as  Historical  Docu- 
ments" (Cambridge  University  Press,  1903)  also  considers 
the  external  evidence.  Not  quite  so  recent  as  these  but  stili 
368 


Appendix 

valuable,  are  Watkin's  Bampton  Lectures  for  1890,  en- 
titled "Modern  Criticism  Considered  in  Relation  to  the 
Fourth  Gospel"  (London:  John  Murray,  1890);  three  es- 
says by  Ezra  Abbott,  A.  P.  Peabody,  and  Bishop  Light- 
foot,  gathered  together  in  one  volume  with  the  title  "The 
Fourth  Gospel"  (Charles  Scribner's  Sons,  1891),  and  the 
first  volume  of  Weiss'  "Life  of  Christ,"  which  contains  a 
full  and  able  discussion  of  the  character  and  worth  of  all 
the  Gospels  as  sources  for  the  life  of  the  Master.  All  In- 
troductions to  the  New  Testament,  such  as  those  of  Weiss, 
Salmon,  Gloag,  Zahn,  consider  quite  fully  matters  per- 
taining to  John's  Gospel. 

Negative  criticism  offers  a  voluminous  literature.  Its 
main  positions  and  their  supports  may  be  gained  from  the 
following  works:  Jiilicher's  "  Introduction  to  the  New 
Testament"  translated  by  Janet  Penrose  Ward,  (Put- 
nam's, 1904);  Oscar  Holtzmann's  "Life  of  Jesus"  (Adam 
and  Charles  Black,  1904);  Keim's  "Jesus  of  Nazara" 
(Williams  &  Norgate);  Schmidt's  "The  Prophet  of  Naza- 
reth" (The  Macmillan  Company,  1905);  Wernle's  "The 
Beginnings  of  Our  Religion"  (G.  P.  Putnam's  Sons); 
Scott's  "The  Fourth  Gospel"  (T.  &  T.  Clark,  1906); 
Loisy's  "The  Fourth  Gospel."  What  are  called  me- 
diating theories  as  to  the  authorship  of  the  Gospel,  i.  e., 
theories  which  ascribe  the  Gospel  not  to  the  Apostle  John 
but  to  another  disciple  of  the  same  name,  and  vary  in  their 
estimates  of  the  historical  truth  of  the  Gospel,  are  repre- 
369 


Appendix 

sented  by  Dr.  Hugo  Delff,i  Hamack,  and  Schiirer.  Par- 
tition theories  which  find  a  Johannine  nucleus  in  the  Gospel 
and  additions  by  a  later  hand  are  set  forth  by  Wendt  in  his 
work,  "The  Gospel  According  to  John"  (Charles  Scrib- 
ner's  Sons,  1902)  and  by  Briggs  in  his  "New  Light  on  the 
Life  of  Jesus"  (Charles  Scribner's  Sons,  1904). 

iDas  vierte  Evangelium  wiederhergestellt   (1890).     Neue   Beitrage  zur 
Kritik  und  Erklarung  des  Vierten  Evangeliums  (1890). 


370 


INDEX   OF   BIBLICAL  PASSAGES 


CONTENTS 

INTRODUCTION 

PAGE 

I.  The  Problem  of  John's  Gospel 1-15 

II.  Did  the  Apostle  John  write  the  Gospel?   .  16-35 

1.  External  Evidence 16-21 

2.  Internal  Evidence 22-35 

III.  Influences  Formative  of  the  Gospel  .     .     .  36-56 

1.  The  Old  Testament 45-47 

2.  The  Teaching  of  Paul 48-50 

3.  The  Ephesian  Environment 51-56 

IV.  The  Apostle  John 57-71 

THE    PROLOGUE    AND    THE    BEGINNINGS    OF  THE 
HISTORY 

Chapters  I-II:  11 

I.  Its  Representative  Character 75-82 

II.  Its  Interpretation  :  (i:  1-18) 82-85 

III.  The  Beginnings  of  the  History 86-87 

IV.  The  Testimonies  of  the  Baptist 88-95 

I.  First  Testimony  to  Deputation  from  Jerusalem 

(i  :  19-28) 88-90 

ix 


Contents 

PAGE 

2.  Second  Testimony  (i  :  29-34) 90-94 

3.  Third  Testimony  (i  :  35-42) 94-95 

V.  The   Testimony    of    Philip   and  Nathanael 

(1:43-51) 96-97 

VI.  The  Miracle  at  Cana  (2:1-11) 98-99 


THE   PUBLIC   MINISTRY   OF   JESUS 

Incidents  selected  to  illustrate  that  self-revelation  of  Jesus  which 
awakened  faith  in  Judea,  Samaria  and  Galilee 

Chapters  II:  12 — IV:  54 

I.  The  Ministry  in  Judea  (2:13-3:21)     .     .     .  103-115 

1.  The  Cleansing  of  the  Temple  (2  :  13-22)      .  103-106 

2.  TheSigns  wrought  in  the  city  (2  :  23-25)    .     .  107 

3.  The  Conversation  with  Nicodemus  (3  :  1-15)    108-112 

4.  Comments  of  the  Evangelist  (3  :  16-21)    .     .  11 3-1 15 

II.  Jesus  in  the   Country   Districts  of   Judea 

(3:22-36) 116-121 

1.  The  Last  Witness  of  John  the  Baptist  (3  :  22- 

26) 116-118 

2.  The  Words  of  the  Baptist  (3  :  27-30)  .     .     .  118-119 

3.  Reflections  of  the  Evangelist  (3  :  31-36)   .     .  119-121 

III.  The  Ministry  in  Samaria  (4 :  1-42)     ....  122-128 

r.  The  Conversation  with  the  Samaritan  Woman 

(4:1-26) 122-126 

2.  The  Return  of  the  Disciples  (4  :  27-39)    •     •  126-128 

IV.  The  Ministry  in  Galilee  (4:43-54)    ....  129-131 

I.  The  Cure  of  the  Nobleman's  Son    ....  129-131 


Contents 


THE   PUBLIC   MINISTRY   OF   JESUS 

Events  selected  to  show  that  self-revelation  of  the  Messiah  which 

was  made  in  the  presence  of  unbelief  and  opposition 

both  in  Galilee  and  Jerusalem 

Chapters  V-XII 

PAGE 

I.  The  Miracle  at  the  Pool  of  Bethesda  (5  : 1-47)  135-150 

1.  Introductory  (5:1) 135 

2.  Healing  of  the  Cripple  (5  :  2-16)     ....  136-139 

3.  Teaching  Following  the  Miracle  (5  :  17-47)        139-150 

(a)  Outline  of  Teaching  and  Interpretation  of  verses 

19-30 141-145 

(6)  Outline    of    Teaching    and    Interpretation    of 

Verses  31-47 145-15° 

II,  The  Feeding  of  the  Five  Thousand  (6:  1-59)150-166 

1.  Introductory 150-151 

2.  The     Narrative     Concerning     the     Miracle 

(6:  1-21) 151-156 

3.  The  Teaching  of  Jesus  (6  :  26-59)  •     •     •     •  156-166 

1.  Introductory 156 

2.  The  First  Discourse:  The  True  Bread  (6:26-40)  157-161 

3.  The  Second  Discourse:  Coming  to  (that  is  be- 
lieving in)  the  Son  (6  :  41-51)        162-164 

4.  The  Third  Discourse  (the  Appropriation  of  Life) 
(6:52-58) 164-166 

III.  The  Crisis  in  Galilee  (6 :  60-71) 166-169 

1.  The  Fourth  Discourse  :   The  Essential  in  the 
Messiah  is  the  Spiritual  (6  :  62-65)       •     •     •  166-168 

2.  The  Confession  of  Peter  (6  :  67-71)      .     .     .  168-169 

IV.  Jesus  at  the  Feast  of  Tabernacles  (7:1-52)  169-184 

I.  Introductory 169-170 

xi 


Contents 


PAGE 

2.  The  Conversation  in  Galilee  with  His  Brethren 

(7: i-io)      171-172 

3.  The  Public  Interest  in  Him  (7  :  11-13)     .     .  172 

4.  The    Discourse    Concerning    His  Teaching 

(7: 14-24)    173-175 

5.  The  Discourse  Concerning  His  Origin  (7  :  25- 

29) 176-178 

6.  The  Discourse  Regarding  His  Departure 
(7:30-34) 178-180 

7.  The  Discourse  Regarding  the  True  Fountain 
(7:35-38) 180-181 

8.  Comment  of  the  Evangelist  (7  :  39)       .     .     .  182 

9.  A  General  Summary  of  the  Efifect  of  these 
Addresses  upon  the  Multitude  and  upon  the 
Officials  (7  :  40-52) 182-184 

V.  The  Rupture  in  Jerusalem  (8: 12-59)     •     •     •  184-201 

1.  Introductory 1&4-185 

2.  The  First  Discourse  :   Christ's  Witness — lam 

the  Light  of  the  World  (8  :  12-20)  ....   185-187 

3.  The  Second  Discourse :  The  Seriousness  of  the 
Difference  between  the  Jews  and  Jesus 
(8:21-30) 187-191 

4.  The  Third  Discourse  (8:31-59)     ....   191-201 

(1)  Encouragement   and    Warning   to  be   Faithful 
(8:31-36) 192-194 

(2)  A  Conversation  showing  what  Their  Claim  of 
Descent  from  Abraham  was  Worth  (8  :  37-47)   •    I95-I97 

(3)  The  Preeminence  of  Jesus  (8  :  48-59)     .      •      •    198-201 

VI.  The  Cure  of  the  Man  Born  Blind  (9  :  1-38)     .  201-209 

1.  Introductory 201-202 

2.  The  Account  of  the  Miracle  (9  :  1-7)  .     .     .   202-204 

3.  The  Consequent  Discussions  and  Investiga- 
tion (9  :  8-34) 204-208 

4.  The  Spiritual  Outcome  of  the  Miracle  (9:35- 

38) 208-209 

xii 


212-219 

213-215 

215-216 

216-2I9 

219 

219-224 


Contents 

PAGE 

VII   The  Spiritual  Teaching  in  Connection  with 

'  the  Cure  of  the  Man  Born  Blind  (9  :  39-10  :  42)209-224 

I.  Introductory 209-211 

2    The  General  Effects  of  the  Ministry  of  Jesus 
'  upon  the  World  as  Suggested  by  His  Experi- 
ences with  the  Blind  Man  (9  :  39-41)  .     .     .211-212 

3.  Jesus  the  Shepherd  (10  :  1-2 1 )     .     .     • 
(i)  The  Real  Shepherd  (10  :  iH3)     •     .     • 

(2)  Jesus  the  Door  of  the  Sheep  (lo  :  7-10) 

(3)  The  Good  Shepherd  (10:11-18)     .     • 

(4)  The  Result  of  these  Teachings  (10  :  19-21) 

4.  His  Sweeping  Claims  (10  :  22-40)     .     . 

(i)  His  Witness  to  His  Messiahship  (10  :  22-30)      .   220-222 
(2)  The  Justification  of  His  Claim  to  be  Son  of 

God  (10:34-39) "^-"3 

5.  The  Departure  Beyond  the  Jordan  (10  :  40-42)         224 
VIII.  The  Raising  of  Lazarus  (11:1-57)     •    •    •     •  224-236 

1.  Introductory 224-226 

2.  In  the  Perea  (11:1-16) 226-228 

3.  In  Bethany  (II  :  17-46) 228-232 

4.  In  Jerusalem  (11  :  47-53) 233-235 

5.  Jesus  Goes  to  Ephraim  (11  :  54)      .     •     •     •  235 

6.  All  Watch  for  Him  in  Jerusalem  (11  :  55-57)  236 

IX   The    Threefold     Relationship    of    Christ 

(12  :  1-36) 236-252 

1.  Introductory 236-238 

2.  The  Supper  in  Bethany  (12  :  1-8)     .     .     .     .238-240 

3.  The  Triumphal  Entry  (12:9-19)    .     .     .     .240-244 

4.  The  Request  of  the  Greeks  (12  :  20-36)  and 
subsequent  addresses 245-247 

(i)  Introductory 245-246 

(2)  First  Address:  The  Way  to  Life's  Enlargement 

and  Glorification  (12:  24-26) 247-249 

xiii 


Contents 

PAGE 

(3)  Second  Address:  The  Significance  of  the  Passion 

(12  :  27-33) 250 

(4)  The  Perplexity  of  the  Jews  and  Christ's  Treat- 
ment of  it  (12  :  34) 251 

(5)  Their  Duty  in  Reference  to  the  Light  (12  :  35, 

36) 251-252 

X.  A  Review  of  Jewish  Unbelief  by  the  Evangel- 
ist (12  :  37-50)    253 

1.  The  Cause  (12 -.37-43) 254-255 

2.  The  Seriousness  of  the  Unbelief  of  the  Jews 
(12:44-50) 255-256 

JESUS   AND   HIS   DISCIPLES 

The  self-revelation  made  to  faith 

Chapters  XIII-XVII 

I.  The   Purification   of   the   Disciples'   Faith 

(13:1-30)        259-268 

1.  Introductory 259-261 

2.  General  Introduction  to  Chapters  13-17  .    .  261 

3.  The  Washing  of  the  Disciples'  Feet  (13  :  2-20)  261-265 

4.  The  Dismissal  of  Judas  (13  :  21-30)    .     .     .  265-268 
II.  The  Discourses  (13:31-14:31) 268-284 

1.  Introductory 268-271 

2.  The  Announcement  of  His  Departure  (13:31- 

38) 272 

3.  Comfort  for  Disciples  Perplexed  and  Saddened 

by  the  Thought  of  His  Departure  (14  :  1-31)  .  273-284 
(i)  The  Promise  of  Reunion  (14  :  i-ii)        .     .     •   273-277 

(2)  The  Promise  of  Power  (14  :  12-17)       •     •     -277-279 

(3)  The  Promise  of  Personal  Manifestation  (14  :  18- 

26) 279-282 

(4)  The  Bequest  of  Peace  (14 :  27-30)        •     •     •   282-284 
III.  The  Relation  of  Christ's  Disciples  to  Him 

AND  of  the  World  to  Them  (15:1-16:6)    .    .  284-392 
I.  Introductory 284-287 

xiv 


Contents 


PAGE 

a.  The  Relation  of  Christ's  Disciples  to  Him 

(15:  1-17) 287-290 

3.  The  Relation  of  the  World  to  the  Disciples 

(15:18-16:6) 290-292 

IV.  The  Mission  of  the  Spirit  (16 :  7-15)    .    .    .  292-295 

V.  The  Joy  of  the  Disciphes  0N"TflE  Resurrection 

Morning  (16  :  16-24) 296-299 

VI.  A  Summary  and  a  Conclusion  (16  :  25-33)    •    •  299-301 

VII.  The  Prayer  of  Jesus  (17:1-26) 302-309 

1.  Introductory 302-304 

2.  A  Prayer  for  Himself:  Glorify  Me  (17  :  1-5)  304-305 

3.  Prayer  for  His  Disciples:  Keep  them  in  Thy 

Name  (17  :  6-19) 306-308 

4.  Prayer  for  Those  Who  through  the  Disciples' 

Word  should  Believe  on  Him  (17  :  20-26)    .     .  308-309 


THE    PASSION 

The  Triumph  of  Unbelief.     Victory  through  Death.     The  Highest 
self-revelation  of  Jesus 

Chapters  XVIII-XIX 

I.  General  Introduction  .    . 313-314 

II.  The  Arrest  (18 : 1-12) 314-31? 

III.  TheExaminationbefore  Annas  (18  :  13-27)      .  317-320 

IV.  Jesus  Before  Pilate  (18  :  28-19  :  16)  .     .     .     .  320-327 

V.  The  Crucifixion  and  Death  (19: 17-30)    .    .  327-329 

VI.  The     Four     Enemies     and     Five    Friends 

(19  :  23-27) 329-333 

VII.  The  Burl\l  (19 :  38-42) 333*335 

XV 


Contents 


THE   RESURRECTION 

The  Beginning  of  Exaltation.     The   Messiah   Glorified.     Faith 
Triumphant 

Chapter  XX 

PAGE 

I,  Introductory 339-340 

II.  Peter  and  John  at  the  Empty  Sepulchre — 

John's  Faith  (20  :  i-io) 340-342 

III.  Christ's   Appearance   to    Mary    Magdalene 
(20:11-18) 342-344 

IV.  The  Appearance  to  the  Disciples,  Thomas 

BEING  Absent  (20  :  19-23) 344-346 

V.  The  Appearance  to  the    Disciples,   Thomas 

BEING  Present  (20  :  24-29) 346-347 

VI.  Conclusion  and  Purpose  of  the  Gospel  (20  :  30- 

31) 348 

THE   EPILOGUE 
Chapter  XXI  ' 

I.  Introductory 351-352 

II.  The  Episode  at  the  Sea  of  Tiberlas  (21  : 1-23)  352-357 
III.  Concluding  Words  (21  :  24,  25) 357-358 

APPENDIX 

I.  The  Narrative  of  the  Woman  taken  in  Adul- 
tery (7  :  53-8  :  11)  361-364 

II.  Books  of  Reference 364-370 

III.  Index  of  Biblical  Passages 373-374 


XVI 


INDEX   OF   BIBLICAL    PASSAGES 


CHAPTER 

I 

I-I8 

19-28 

29-34 

35-42 

II 

43-51 

:  i-ii 

13-22 

III 

23-25 
1-15 

16-21 

22-26 

IV 

27-30 

■A-:f 

27-42 

V 

43-54 

:  I 

2-16 

17-30 

VI 

31-47 
1-2 1 

22-40 

41-51 

VII 

52-59 
60-65 
66-71 
:  i-io 

11-13 

14-24 

25-29 

30-34 
35-38 

39 

VII 
VIII 

:  5?VIII 
:  12-20 

21-30 

PAGES 

CHAPTER 

82-85 

31-36 

88-90 

37-47 

90-94 

48-59 

94-95 

IX 

•r^ 

96-97 

8-34 

98-99 

35-38 

103-106 

39-41 

107 

X 

:  1-6 

108-II2 

7-10 

II3-II5 

11-18 

I 16-1 18 

19-21 

I18-II9 

22-30 

I19-121 

31-39 

122-126 

40-42 

126-128 

XI 

:i-i6 

129-132 

17-46 

135 

47-53 

136-139 

54 

139-145 

55-57 

145-150 

XII 

1-8 

150-156 

9-19 

156-161 

20-26 

162-164 

27-33 

164-166 

34 

166-168 

35-36 

168-169 

37-43 

171-172 

44-50 

172 

XIII 

:  I-20 

173-175 

21-30 

176-178 

31-38 

178-180 

XIV 

:  i-ii 

180-181 

12-17 

182 

18-26 

182-184 

27-31 

361-364 

XV 

:  1-17 

184-187 

18-27 

187-I9I 

XVI 

:i-6 

PAGES 
192-194 
195-197 
198-201 
202-204 
204-208 
208-209 
209-2  1 2 
213-215 
215-216 
216-219 
219 
220-222 
222-223 
224 
224-228 
228-232 
233-235 
235 
236 
236-240 
240-244 
245-249 
250 
251 
251-252 
253-255 
255-256 
259-265 
265-268 
268-272 
273-277 
277-279 
279-282 
282-284 
284-290 

290-293 


373 


htdex  of  Biblical  Passages 


7-iS        . 
16-24 

•     •     •  292-295 
.     .     .  296-299 

25-33      • 

.    .     .  299-301 

XVII 
XVIII 

6-19 
20-26 
•  1-12 

.    .     .  302-305 

.    .     .  306-308 

.     .  308-309 

.     .  314-317 

XIX 

28-40  I 
:i-i6    f    •    • 

•     •  317-320 
.     .  320-327 

17-22        . 

.    •  327-329 

XX 


XXI: 


23-27 

•  329-333 

28-37 

•  332-333 

38-42 

.  333-335 

I-IO 

•  339-342 

II-I8 

•  342-344 

19-23 

•  344-346 

24-29 

.  346-347 

30-31 

348 

1-23 

•  352-357 

24-25 

.  357-358 

374 


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